02 June 2009

current favorite





I normally do not like tea-bag teas because (1) they tend to be too powdery (the powderiness makes the tea "cloudy"), and (2) the paper bag, or perhaps the way it is made (with glue?), affects the flavor of the tea. These two issues are particularly problematic when the tea is of more delicate variety, like Japanese green tea, which happens to be my favorite.

But I saw something at Whole Foods the other day that overcomes both of these problems: it's whole leaf in cloth pouches. I've actually seen teas in non-paper tea bags before, but I had never seen green tea in this type of tea bags. Now it's available at a grocery store near you! Is this a result of the ongoing and increasing popularity of Asian food items in this country???

Needless to say, I got excited and grabbed a box.

The product's website doesn't say exactly what fabric the pouch is made of, but it states that it's "silken to touch" and "100% biodegradable." It looks to be either polyester or rayon.

I am happy to report that the tea tastes great. It doesn't have that "noise" that paper-teabags deposit in the tea. The pouch is large enough to let the leaves open fully, so I'm getting the full flavor that the tea has to offer. In addition, each pouch is further wrapped in a sealed plastic bag which helps prolong freshness.

All of this with the convenience of tea bags!






Now the only question I ask is, is something like this available in France?

2 comments:

Senegal Daily said...

I'd suggest either Bahadourian near the Guillotière or the Asian grocery stores in that area. I make a pilgrimage every 4-6 weeks to stock up. Let me know if you'd like to meet up to go sometime.

cocopuff1212 said...

Kari:
Thank you for visiting! I just looked up Bahadourian, and oh my gosh, I'm excited! I think I'll check it out, but I'd also love to meet up with you sometime :>