There seems to be a great deal of debate among UK tea manufacturers as to what shape teabag produces the best brew. Tetley insists that its round bag is best, while Brooke Bond claims its pyramid bags are superior. I have always thought that what is inside the bag is more important than the bag shape. But I am starting to wonder if the type of bag can make a difference.
When I visited England last fall, I drank Yorkshire Tea and enjoyed it very much. The regular Yorkshire Tea was a bit milder than the Yorkshire Gold I used to drink. I ordered some when I got home and was surprised to find it to be weaker than what I had remembered. It definitely is not as strong as PG Tips, which is mainly what I've been drinking these days.
Taylors, which make Yorkshire tea, feel that the traditional oversized rectangular bag makes the best cup of tea because the larger infusion chamber gives the tea more room to move around. That seems to make sense and that is also the principle behind the Brooke Bond pyramid bags. Yesterday, I took some Yorkshire teabags to work. I made a cup in my glass Bodum mug, and not having my priorities straight, I became engrossed in my work and oversteeped it. When I remembered to remove the bag, I was amazed at how pale and weak the tea was. I wondered if maybe it was because the bag was so large, it "stood up" in the mug, and did not get directly hit with the boiling water. When I made my next cuppa, I squished the bag down into the bottom of the mug before pouring the water directly on it. I got much darker and better-tasting brew. So now I am wondering if perhaps a round bag that would fit better into the bottom of a mug, would actually produce better tea. I don't think it would make any difference when brewing the tea in a teapot, but for brewing in the mug, there might be some truth behind the hype. Any thoughts?