Culture In A Cup Loose Tea

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About Loose Tea

History
Tea has a fascinating history. It is intertwined deeply with the spread of Buddhism, trade with the Europeans, and the start of the American Revolution. In the past tea was used as currency, to thwart cultural prowess, and even sold as elixirs for life. For nearly 3000 years, China held the "secrets" to the famed Camellia sinensis (tea plant) as transporting tea plants, or even sharing "tea secrets" to foreigners was punishable by death (though Europeans attempted to bribe Chinese workers with Opium and jewels). Native to Southeast Asia, the tea plant is now grown on every continent except Antarctica.

Processing Methods
Once the leaves or buds of the tea plant are plucked by hand or mechanical devices, the are dried and prepared for brewing. All "true Teas" (Green, White, Black, etc) are traditionally classified based on the degree of processing the leaves have undergone. This processing lends tea its diverse flavor, aroma, and visual appearance. Soil type and nutrient content, elevation, and specific variety of the plant also lend to diversity of the leaves. Click here for a tea processing chart.

Tea Grades
   Once processed, tea is then graded.  Green and Oolong teas are graded by taste and quality of the leaf. Black tea is graded by its leaf size and shape. The following are the five main grades of black tea.

         Highest    Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP) - Indicates the first two whole leaves
                                  and bud are present. Additional specifics to this grade may
                                  be added to determine the ratio of bud to leaf.
                         Orange Pekoe (OP) - This consists of large, whole tea leaves picked
                                  without the flower bud of the tea plant.
                         Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) - This consists of broken tea leaves or
                                   pieces of large leaves. May also include stems. It is considered
                                   a low grade of tea, which can also include pieces of the bud.
                         Fannings (FNGS) - A size up from dust, often used in tea bags.
          Lowest    Dust (D) - This is the lowest possible grade. It consists of tiny pieces
                                   of tea leaves and tea dust. This is the type most commonly
                                   used in tea bags.

Tea, like spices, lose essential oils, flavor, and nutrients (including those famous antioxidants) when ground or broken from the whole leaf into small pieces or "dust".

We all are familiar with the taste difference between fresh black peppercorns and store-bought pre-ground pepper--it is the same concept with tea. The loss of essential oils due to low grades of the tea affects the flavor and the nutrient level of this beverage. Many of the articles, however, that we read in magazines, newspapers, etc are referencing studies conducted with whole leaf tea, not dust or fannings from tea bags or commercially bottled/brewed tea, which can be misleading if the reader is not aware of this. In fact, a peer-reviewed study reported that whole leaf loose tea contains up to 40% more antioxidants than its bagged counterpart. Why settle for what has settled?

Tea Storage
Our high quality whole leaf loose tea can be stored in an airtight tin away from light and moisture for up to a year or in its original packaging for up to 2 years, in contrast bagged tea quickly goes stale as a result of its tiny broken leaf pieces. Also, never store your loose tea in the fridge.
Of added bonus, most of our loose teas can be re-infused for a fresh cup by the addition of hot water and thus even the most expensive loose tea we stock costs less than sixty cents per cup - certainly an affordable luxury!

Serving Tea
Steeping tea loose is the best and most natural way. As
research shows, by steeping loose you will achieve the
best flavor and richest tea, as the essential oils are
allowed to freely flow into the hot water. Cultures
around the globe have detailed elaborate tea ceremonies
in their writings and even some governments have
specified how their people should consume the world's
most-consumed beverage. Europeans add milk or cream,
Somali people add sugar, and Moroccans commonly add
mint. In Taiwan tapioca is often added whereas in India
sweetened condensed milk is poured and in Tibet the
choices are salted butter or yak milk. Most Chinese and
Japanese tea houses serve pure, unadulterated tea. We at
Culture in a Cup encourage you to explore your history
and align yourself with a global family!

Be Bag-Free
   Steeping tea LOOSE is also an environmentally-friendly choice. Loose tea reduces packaging waste formed by trendy "silky"pyramid tea bags which are made from petroleum-based products and eliminates cellophane or foil wrapping commonly used to wrap modern tea bags. Additionally, steeping tea loose eliminates the need for pulp fibered tea bags or those bleached with harmful chlorine. It is estimated that 3.6 million pounds of landfill waste every year may be attributed to tea bags!
   When brewing our quality, nutrient-packed loose tea, please reuse your steeping vessel and compost your tea leaves to make drinking tea environmentally responsible and economical.