Free shipping on orders over €45
Free shipping on orders over €45
Free shipping on orders over €45
Free shipping on orders over €45
Free shipping on orders over €45
Free shipping on orders over €45
Free shipping on orders over €45
Free shipping on orders over €45
We often talk about loose-leaf tea as opposed to muslin (or bagged) tea. These are indeed two ways of packaging and, above all, two ways of preparing.
It was Thomas Sullivan, a tea merchant in New York, who accidentally invented this method of preparation in 1908. When he offered his customers samples of tea wrapped in small silk bags, he had not imagined that people would steep the tea leaves directly with this packaging. The tea bag was born. The materials and shapes would then evolve, but the principle remained the same.
The bag has become part of consumption habits, sometimes making us forget what’s inside. Some brands opt for teas whose leaves are broken, or even in fine powder. These teas are lower in quality and cheaper. Other brands strive to keep the quality of the whole leaf — nunshen is one of them. We have selected part of our loose-leaf range to offer it in muslin. Our muslins are made of 100% biodegradable cotton. The size of the mesh and the size of the muslin allow for an optimal infusion.
Even if the tea bag or muslin remains an easy way to consume tea and sometimes seems unavoidable, in this article we want to highlight all the richness and advantages that loose-leaf tea offers us, and reassure tea lovers who have not yet adopted this consumption habit.
A much wider choice:
Not all teas can be offered in muslin. Our master teas, often from small, sometimes ephemeral productions, are treasures to discover. They are always in loose-leaf version and not in muslin. By opting for loose leaf, you can explore different teas according to your sensibility and your desires.
A more eco-responsible approach:
Loose-leaf tea is undeniably a perfect alternative to “less packaging”. It is offered in a single 100g pouch in most cases.
Sometimes more economical:
Without additional packaging, the price of loose leaf therefore remains focused on the tea alone. When you buy a 100g pouch, don’t forget that you can make 50 “homemade” 2g muslins. The price is often more advantageous.
Direct contact with the tea leaf:
By opening your pouch, you discover the leaves and can thus appreciate their colour, their shape, their richness in buds. You can also dip your nose in, gladly breathing in all the aromas of your tea before preparing it.
A muslin does not give you this joy.
The value of the preparation moment:
The moment of preparation is part of the tasting. Taking the time to choose your tea, to select the right teapot, the right cup, to heat the water, to pour it over the leaves, to wait a few minutes for your favourite drink to be ready, to smell the aromas tickling your nose… All of this is part of a simple ritual that invites you even more to a pleasant tasting.
A preparation that remains easy:
Even if we speak of a ritual, loose-leaf tea is very simple to prepare. You just need a few accessories to make the preparation easy and quick. You can use the filter of your teapot, infusers, or paper filters. The extra step compared to the muslin will then be to put the tea leaves in your paper filter. That’s all…
We guide you by indicating the recommended amount of tea, the water temperature and the steeping time.
We offer you a range of loose-leaf teas, a large part of which is organic.
Our offer is organised into three ranges:
Essential: An assortment of classic teas with must-have flavours. The starting point for experiencing and discovering tea!
Unique: a selection of teas offering subtle and exclusive blends for a stimulating sensory adventure.
Master: a fine selection of rare and unusual teas from small, exclusive lots discovered at local producers around the world.
These teas come in different colours. They come from the great producing countries such as China and India, but also from lesser-known countries such as Nepal, Thailand or Vietnam. They offer a very varied aromatic palette. You can select the teas that speak to you and touch you, but don’t hesitate to also explore worlds you know less well. Tea has lovely surprises in store for you.
Also find our teapots, our infusers and our filters in the accessories category to savour your loose-leaf teas.