I was reading Sip Locally blog yesterday. They mentioned how much packaging and bits of string you would save by using loose tea. I suddenly remembered clearing things out after my Swiss grandmother died. On the shelf in the big storage cupboard was a box labeled "pieces of string too small to save". That's exactly was it was - all these bitty pieces of string. We had a really good laugh and put them out in the Spring for the birds' nests.
I'm not really sure how much we save ecologically by doing loose tea. I always put my teabags in the compost pile anyway. The staple, if there is one, adds a bit of iron and the tea and paper degrade pretty quickly. However, in the manufacturing, there would be great savings, so I guess that is definitely another one for the good tea, if you're keeping score.
Hit another Chinese buffet today. The tea was just Chinese Restaurant tea - that blend that they all serve. Pleasant and drinkable, but nothing outstanding.
At home I had Devonshire Earl Grey from Upton's - http://www.uptontea.com/. This is their newest Earl Grey and I must say, I like it. It is quality Ceylon tea, with of course, bergamot, bu then they add either lemon oil or lemon peel. It gives the tea more body and a deeper scent and taste, but isn't really distinguishable all on it's own. Love those added dimensions that don't overwhelm!
