Chamomile

Healthy herbs, rooibos, honeybush, decaf tea, and yerba mate.


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Feb 26th, '06, 06:45
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Chamomile

by yresim » Feb 26th, '06, 06:45

I used to think that, while there was a huge difference between bagged and loose teas, there wasn't much of a difference between bagged and loose tisanes.

Well, I was wrong. At least when it comes to chamomile. I compared two stash chamomiles against loose chamomile from Adagio and Royal Dynasty. The bagged teas did not hold a candle to the loose teas.

I am never paying for bagged chamomile again!

~Yresim~

P.S. For full review, see http://community.livejournal.com/teareviews/1798.html
"I know! We could go to the Bronze, sneak in our own tea bags, and ask for hot water."
- Willow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Reptile Boy, Season 2)

Favorite teas: earl grey, assam, white

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Feb 26th, '06, 12:54
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Agreement

by Carnelian » Feb 26th, '06, 12:54

I can agree to that. I used to have problems getting my chamomile tea strong enough from bags. And while I grow chamomile in a garden, the flowers (which I recently learned is the source of flavor) are not available for very long and its tedious to dry them properly.

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Feb 27th, '06, 14:42
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by Kai » Feb 27th, '06, 14:42

If you have an ethnic foods section, you might find it in your local grocer. That's where I found a bag o raw chamomile. It's "manzanilla" in spanish. Great stuff.

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Mar 7th, '06, 11:59
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by Madam Potts » Mar 7th, '06, 11:59

Generally speaking bagged tea never compares with loose tea. The tea that goes into bags is always cut/chopped finer which means that the tea or herb is loses its quality and properties faster. Also any essense or taste is compromised when a leaf is not able to unfurl.

I have found that even among my favorite (read: top quality) tea retailers the bagged tea always is significantly less enjoyable.

Convenience is the only attribute of the bagged tea.

So to say one thing positive about the bagged teas: Sometimes conveneince is worth its weight in gold.
Madam Potts

Custom Tea Blends and other Mad Ideas...
www.madpotsoftea.com

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Mar 7th, '06, 12:20
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by rabbit » Mar 7th, '06, 12:20

Going along with mad pots, I've heard that because the teabags more often than not contain dust/fannings, these smaller bits of camellia sinensis release their tannans faster than the larger ones which in turn will brew (esspecialy in black) a more bitter cup of tea.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot
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Mar 7th, '06, 15:38
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by yresim » Mar 7th, '06, 15:38

rabbit wrote:Going along with mad pots, I've heard that because the teabags more often than not contain dust/fannings, these smaller bits of camellia sinensis release their tannans faster than the larger ones which in turn will brew (esspecialy in black) a more bitter cup of tea.
As I said, I knew this about bagged tea. Just not about tisanes.

I guess I just sort of figured that, since tisanes don't typically contain leaves so much as flower petals, they didn't need to expand as much.

There goes that idea.

~Yresim~
"I know! We could go to the Bronze, sneak in our own tea bags, and ask for hot water."
- Willow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Reptile Boy, Season 2)

Favorite teas: earl grey, assam, white

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