{"id":713,"date":"2015-05-28T17:58:59","date_gmt":"2015-05-28T21:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/?p=713"},"modified":"2019-04-22T13:45:52","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T17:45:52","slug":"get-to-know-loose-leaf-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/get-to-know-loose-leaf-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Loose Leaf Tea"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time:<\/b> <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

New to loose leaf tea? You\u2019ve come to the right place. Our beginner\u2019s guide to loose leaf tea has everything you need to become a true connoisseur. Kick off your tea journey by getting to know some of the world\u2019s most sought after tea types, then dive into our amazing assortment of teas and infusions \u2013 including best premium traditional teas, indulgent dessert blends, fruity iced teas and caffeine-free herbal infusions. We\u2019ll even give you our fave tips and tricks on how to make the perfect cup of tea at home.<\/p>\n

Ready to start exploring?<\/p>\n

What is tea?<\/h2>\n

When most people talk about tea, they\u2019re talking about the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, an evergreen shrub native to Asia. Rich black teas like Orange Pekoe<\/span><\/a> and Earl Grey<\/span><\/a>? Camellia sinensis. Premium Chinese and Japanese green teas? You guessed it \u2013 they\u2019re Camellia sinensis, too. You may be surprised to know that this wonder-plant also makes some other amazing tea types you might not have even heard of before \u2013 like delicate, pure white tea<\/span><\/a>, tightly-rolled oolong<\/span><\/a> and earthy pu\u2019erh<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

But for us, the world of tea isn\u2019t limited to Camellia sinensis plant. We like to use lots of other amazing plants and infusions like energizing South American yerba mate and guayusa<\/span><\/a>, or mineral-packed organic rooibos<\/span><\/a> \u2013 a naturally sweet, hydrating and caffeine-free shrub from South Africa. We also have a ton of fun herbal teas and fruit infusions like punch bowl-ready Caribbean Crush<\/span><\/a> and colour-changing Magic Potion<\/span>.<\/a><\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the difference between all of these tea types? It all comes down to how the tea leaves are processed.<\/p>\n

White Tea<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

Delicate white tea is the least processed of all the tea types. Just plucked and dried, it\u2019s as close to the living tea bush as you can get. And since the active ingredients found in the tea leaves aren\u2019t broken down, it\u2019s packed with skin-loving antioxidants. With its gentle flavour and sweetness, it\u2019s one of the rarest, most luxurious teas in the world.<\/p>\n

Fan faves<\/h4>\n

Buddha\u2019s Blend<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Mango Madness<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Bai Hao Yin Zhen<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Green Tea<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Organic Green Passionfruit<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Organic North African Mint<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Organic Japanese Sencha<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Green tea is the most popular drink in the world, after water. It\u2019s been sipped by millions, for thousands of years. And it isn\u2019t just delicious and versatile \u2013 it\u2019s known for having tons of antioxidants and health benefits, which is why it\u2019s in so many detox blends. From steamed Japanese teas to pan-fired Chinese ones, green tea is bright, refreshing and energizing.<\/p>\n

Matcha<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Need a boost? Power up with matcha green tea. Matcha powder is made by finely grinding the entire tea leaf, so you get all the benefits of green tea with every sip. It\u2019s quick and easy to make and amazing as a hot or iced matcha latte. Skeptical? Try our delicious flavoured blends. And for all you superfans, our ultra-premium traditional matchas will blow your mind.<\/p>\n

Fan faves<\/h3>\n

Matcha Matsu<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Peach Matcha<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Vanilla Matcha<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Oolong Tea<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

From the Chinese word for \u201cblack dragon,\u201d oolong tea falls somewhere between black and green tea in terms of oxidation. Oxidation happens when the cells of the leaves are exposed to oxygen, which darkens the leaves, changing their aroma and flavor (similar to what happens when you leave a sliced apple on the counter).<\/p>\n

Oolongs are a labour of love. Traditionally, production was a family affair, with processing methods being a closely guarded family secret. As a result, teas varied greatly from one grower to another. Today, oolong tea production can be rustic or ultra-modern, often handrolled into unique shapes. We love watching them unfurl in the cup as they release beautiful flavours ranging from floral and fruity to creamy, toasty and nutty. Our favourite part? You can re-steep them multiple times (aka gungfu style).<\/p>\n

Fan faves<\/h3>\n

Guangzhou Milk Oolong<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Long Life Oolong<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Coconut Cream Pie<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Black Tea<\/h3>\n

Black tea leaves are fully oxidized before they\u2019re fired. This gives them a stronger, sweeter, more full-bodied flavour. Maybe that\u2019s what makes rich blends like Cream of Earl Grey and David\u2019s Breakfast Blend so popular. Whether you love \u2018em with milk and sugar or savour them straight up, we\u2019ve got the blend for you.<\/p>\n

Fan faves<\/h3>\n

Organic Cream of Earl Grey<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Organic Nepal Black<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Organic Saigon Chai<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Pu\u2019erh Tea<\/h3>\n

Pu\u2019erh tea (pronounced \u201cpoor\u201d) is a popular metabolism booster and has been used for thousands of years to aid digestion. But pu\u2019erhs are actually the fine wines of the tea world \u2013 highly prized by connoisseurs, and only get better with age. Whether sipped \u201csheng\u201d (green) or cooked, the process to produce them is long, involved and shrouded in secrecy. The result? A blissful complexity of flavour, from sweet and floral to smooth, rich and earthy.<\/p>\n

Fan faves<\/h3>\n

Coffee Pu\u2019erh<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Organic Silken Pu\u2019erh<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Juicy Orange<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Rooibos<\/h3>\n

Rooibos (pronounced \u201cROY-bos\u201d) is Afrikaans for \u201cred bush\u201d \u2013 a South African miracle plant with tons of benefits. It\u2019s especially popular with health-conscious sippers because it\u2019s caffeine-free, full of minerals and antioxidants and naturally hydrating. We love both red and green rooibos for their natural sweetness and delicious mineral flavours \u2013 the perfect base for some of our favourite blends.<\/p>\n

Fan faves<\/h3>\n

Organic Cinnamon Rooibos Chai<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Organic Super Ginger<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Pink Lemonade<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Herbal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When it comes to herbal and fruit infusions, there are no rules. Tropical fruit slices? Steep \u2018em up! Beautiful flowers? Why not! Herbs used in traditional medicine? We love \u2018em! And most are naturally caffeine and calorie-free. So whether you\u2019re craving a dessert tea, a bedtime blend or a refreshing new iced tea flavour, there\u2019s a whole world of delicious to discover.<\/p>\n

Fan faves<\/h3>\n

Forever Nuts<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Organic Mother\u2019s Little Helper<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Just Peachy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

How much do I need?<\/h3>\n

Ready to get started? Here\u2019s what you need to know. Our teas are sold by weight, with 100 g (4 oz) making an average of 30-40 cups. So if you\u2019re making one cup per day, it\u2019ll last you about a month.<\/p>\n

If you just want to try a small portion of a bunch of different teas, you might have fun trying out one of our tea samplers<\/span><\/a>. They contain a variety of tea flavours, with enough tea to make a couple cups of each.<\/p>\n

Brew the perfect cup<\/h3>\n

Making loose leaf tea at home couldn\u2019t be easier. All of our teas come with handy steeping instructions, so you know how much tea to use<\/span><\/a>, how hot your water should be<\/span><\/a>, and how long to let it steep<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

1) Measure your tea. We recommend a serving amount for each tea, but it\u2019s really just a rule of thumb. Experiment and find your perfect balance!<\/p>\n

2) Pour your water. Some of our teas call for cooler water, so the leaves don\u2019t burn and become bitter. An easy trick is to let your kettle sit for a few minutes before pouring.<\/p>\n

3) Let it steep! Different teas call for different steep times: while some can turn bitter after more than a few minutes, most herbals and mat\u00e9 blends can infuse all day.<\/p>\n

Most importantly\u2026don\u2019t be afraid to break the rules! At the end of the day, it\u2019s all about what makes you happy. We want people to have fun with our teas \u2013 the only \u201cright\u201d way to drink it is however you like it best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time:<\/b> <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>So what\u2019s all the fuss about loose leaf tea? Well, the most important thing for us is that it tastes great. The biggest difference between loose leaf and tea bags […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,537],"tags":[450],"class_list":["post-713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-tea-101","tag-tea-101"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=713"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8367,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713\/revisions\/8367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}