'A HISTORY OF...'//'CASE STUDY: TWININGS'//OUGD504-SUMMER

WHY CHOOSE LOOSE TEA

WHY CHOOSE LOOSE TEA?

We live in a world where convenience is king, whether that is nipping to the out of town supermarket to avoid the traffic, purchasing a "dine in meal" that we can put straight in the oven after a busy day or paying more for petrol out in the country because it is more convenient to stop somewhere on the way than head back to the main roads.  All of these things we do, but often these come with a slight compromise.

The Tea Bag

The humble teabag is idea for making a delicious cup of your favourite blend.  If, like us, you have your tea making down to a tea (excuse the pun) you may be able to boil, brew and slurp your favourite tea within just 10minutes ; perfect for the busy lives we lead. However, there is another side to tea which up until the mid 1950s was the only way to drink your tea here in the UK; using loose leaf tea, and what a wonderful thing it is...

LOOSE TEA

Loose tea comes in many shapes and sizes, from small pellets to long rolled leave and can be white tea, black tea, green tea, an infusion of herbs or fruits or as a hand made, flowering tea.

Whilst we simply couldn't live without the teabag, loose tea is so captivating and mystifying with such romantic origins and histories that it is an absolute must for any tea drinker when the occasion presents itself. 

It is enjoyed by millions of tea lovers around the world and as with teabags, each person has their own special way of drinking it, from the depths of China to the streets of the UK.

Importantly, what makes loose tea so incredible encapsulating is the artisan method by which it is produced.  A method that breaks down the cell integrity of freshly plucked leaves known as orthodox rolling...this releases all the enzymes and juices from the inside of the leaf to coat the outside of the leaf, which when left to oxidise becomes our familiar black tea.  Some of these teas are then twisted to release a flavour explosion which when brewed correctly will give you one of the finest flavour experiences whilst others are enjoyed simply as whole leaf.  Often, the craftsmanship is passed down through families, some as complex as tying each leaf into a little known knot like that of the Jin Shan Tien Hau flowering tea, which unfurls as it brews, offering up the most beautiful of aromas and flavours.