subject: Types of Tea: Bagged, Loose, Iced, and Herbal [print this page] Types of Tea: Bagged, Loose, Iced, and Herbal
So, you decided to become a tea drinker. What made you make the shift from coffee in the mornings? To many, tea is seen as the weaker of the two caffeinated beverages, although certain black teas, such as Earl Grey and English Breakfast, pack a significant punch for waking up. Did you switch to be healthier? Although the health benefits of black coffee are just now being discovered, the antioxidant contents in green and white teas have been studied for cancer, heart disease, and weight loss. No matter your reason for switching, here is an introduction to tea.
Tea typically comes in bagged form, but teabags have a reputation for being the lower-quality beverage option. Tea connoisseurs may tell you to skip the teabags and go for the loose leaf, but think about each before you switch. Teabags are certainly convenient, but before you brew, check the inside. Tea quality is typically indicated by leaf size: Larger leaves are more flavorful than smaller ones. Loose leaf beverages are typically made out of larger leaves, although higher-quality bagged brands have them as well.
Not all loose leaf beverages are created equal, however. Buds may be added to loose blends, and if more buds are present, the blend is considered higher quality. Additionally, flavor infusions are also popular for loose leaf tea. Fruit peels, spices, or herbs may be mixed in with black, white, or green tea leaves.
A third variety is iced tea blends. You may ask yourself, "How different is standard tea from iced tea?" Often, standard tea brewed and kept in a refrigerator for a few hours may become cloudy, which often indicates more tannins are in the beverage and affects the taste. Iced tea blends, on the other hand, are designed to produce a clear pitcher with fewer tannins. Although brewed like ordinary tea and left to cool, iced tea brews are a far cry from the powdered varieties and can even be drank hot.
Tisanes are a fourth type of tea. Not containing any actual tea leaves, tisanes, also called herbal teas, are a mix of dried fruits, herbs, and spices. Like ordinary tea leaves, tisanes are brewed and steeped but the beverage likely has no caffeine.
