The First Thing to do with Your Loose Leaf Tea – Meimei Fine Teas

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The First Thing to do with Your Loose Leaf Tea

The First Thing to do with Your Loose Leaf Tea

If it’s your first time purchasing loose leaf tea, things can seem a little overwhelming once you have the leaves at home for yourself. Many of us were raised on the convenience of tea bags, instructed to boil some water and pour it over one or two tea bags…to taste. 

jasmine loose leaf green tea  

If—and when—this produced bitter tasting tea, the custom is to use some creativity and experiment with modifying the flavor by adding some cream, sugar, lemon, or honey. To be sure, such experimentation can still be a part of your loose leaf tea lifestyle, but generally we add these ingredients to complement the flavor of the tea, not mask it.

So what’s different about loose leaf tea?

The first thing you’ll notice is the obvious: an airtight, sealed bag filled with your tea. As soon as you open it, you should be greeted with some delightful and strong aromatics. This is always one of the most enjoyable moments when opening a recent purchase, and it should be savored appropriately. We welcome you to take a momentary timeout and bask in the natural aromatherapy of your tea leaves! 😊

It is also important, however, to take a mental note about this. While the scent of your tea is at its peak when you first open the bag, you must take care to limit the exposure of your tea leaves to air. The longer your unused leaves are exposed, the faster your tea’s flavor will degrade. It is of the utmost importance to properly seal your bags and keep your tea in an airtight package or container.

If you plan on continuing to use the resealable bag in which your tea came—and you are certainly welcome to do so—please remember to gently squeeze out any excess air from the top. When you snap the seal closed, also be sure to run your fingers along the entire edge of the seal to reinforce that it is properly closed.

For some more information, we discuss a little more about how to store your tea here and here.

Next week, we’ll walk you through how to make your first cup of loose leaf tea with a gentle guide!

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