Tea bags are said to be an American invention, developed out of the little silk bags a New York City importer named Thomas Sullivan used for sending tea samples in the early years of this century. It is possible to make excellent tea with a tea bag, but not easy. Most tea bags are filled with ΓÇ£fanningsΓÇ¥ or ΓÇ£dustΓÇ¥ΓÇötwo sorting grades describing size and not quality. Although most packers use lesser-quality teas for bags than for loose tea, sometimes the fannings or dust can be quite good. The problem is that tea bags are rarely packed in airtight containers, and because the leaves are so finely chopped or pulverized, they grow stale more quickly than loose tea does. Also the paper used for most bags can impart a flavor of its own to the tea. If you buy tea bags, store them in an opaque, tightly sealed container, away from heat such as stoves and radiators. And do not keep any tea, in bags or loose, for more than 6 months.
