Block Theme Exploration

Category: Tea

  • Tea bag post

    Tea bag patents date from 1903 when Roberta Lawson and Mary McLaren, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were granted US patent 723287 for a Tea Leaf Holder, which they had filed in 1901.

    Tea bags are commonly made of filter paper or food-grade plastic, or occasionally of silk cotton or silk. The tea bag performs the same function as a tea infuser. Tea bags can be used multiple times until there is no extraction left. Some tea bags have an attached piece of string with a paper label at the top that assists in removing the bag, while also displaying the brand or variety of tea. There are also special tea filters that can be used to pour loose tea into and brew it in a bag in a cup.

    Organic tea companies seem to be the most conscientious about what material is used to make their tea bags. Yogi Tea, Numi Tea, EDEN Organic, Organic Traditional Medicinals, and Two Leaves Organic Teas all have plant-based tea sachets. All of their tea bags are plastic-free and compostable.

  • Herbal tea post

    True tea – whether it’s black, green, white, or oolong, hot, or iced – comes from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. But the herbal kind comes from soaking various flowers, leaves, or spices in hot water. Most of these brews don’t have caffeine. You can start with premade bags or loose material you steep and then strain out. Herbal teas are also called “tisanes.”

    Floral teas feature dried flowers like jasmine, rose, lavender, and chamomile in soothing, aromatic blends that are full of flavor.

    For centuries, flower blossoms have been blended with tea and other herbs to create tasty and medicinal brews. Whether you’re dreaming of spring flowers, looking for an iced tea to enjoy in the summer heat, or simply interested in teas with a flowery note, a floral tea is sure to hit the spot!

    In many ancient cultures, spices were blended with water to create healing infusions and medicinal treatments. For instance, the history of chai stretches back thousands of years, when it was first concocted as an invigorating Ayurvedic beverage. At the time, chai contained a blend of many different spices that were believed to support vitality. It was not until the 1800s that black tea leaves, milk and sweetener were added to this ancient spiced tea blend.

    Today, a wide variety of spices sourced from around the globe are used to prepare spiced tea. They can be added to black or green tea, or simply blended with other herbs and botanicals to create healthful caffeine-free infusions.

  • Loose leaf tea post

    It looks nice in a photo, but there is clearly an equipment failure here: tea leaves scattered about, and a big clump of tea in the bottom of the cup, getting stronger and more bitter with each passing moment. 

    You can get fancy French presses for tea, you can brew loose in a pot and strain it as you pour, you can buy a tea ball that contain your tea and put that straight into your pot or mug. But don’t just dump loose tea into a cup and use your teeth to strain it!