The Search for Loose Leaf Tea

I am a tea drinker. Always have been, probably always will be. For as long as I can remember, I have begun my mornings with a cup of hot black tea. Of course, it seems that lately that cup has turned into several, but that's another story. My husband and I were trying to find, and are perpetually on the hunt for, good loose leaf tea that is not exorbitantly expensive. Over the years, I have come to realize that this is a very difficult process. There are so many facets to consider - quality of the tea, the price, the processing, where and how the tea was grown, as well as the sustainability and labor practices of the plantation and the distributing company itself. I know from having seen the Steeped in History exhibit at UCLA's Fowler Museum of Cultural History that the environmental and labor practices of each tea plantation are very important. However, unless you want to pay A LOT of money, it is very difficult to take this into consideration when looking for everyday tea.

This brought me to the question: how do you choose what's best environmentally and socially, but still maintain your pocketbook? We usually go to our local Halal and Indian Markets here in LA for our everyday tea. These local, ethnic markets are such a good source for so many products - tea, spices, bean and legumes, rice, flour and the list goes on. If you have access to this type of establishment, I highly recommend shopping there for any products that are commonly used in the associated country or region. In this case, I know that much of the tea we drink is grown in India, and much of the tea consumed in the world is consumed in India. Therefore, it seems only logical to buy our tea from an Indian grocer.

There are some brands that you can order online - Two Leaves and a Bud is among my favorites - but it is more expensive. I consider these teas my "sometimes" teas. This brings me back to the excellent point Anna Lappe made in Diet for a Hot Planet: it's probably better to cut down on usage of a certain product and be able to spend more on quality. However, as previously alluded to, this may be a very difficult process for me!

Since this is one of our everyday staples, I am always researching this topic and will continue to post updates as I come by more information...