Pu'er Tea Bags: Pyramid Bags and Flat Tea Bags
Pu'er often brings to mind a cake you have to pry apart and brew slowly in a gaiwan. Pu'er tea bags make it simple: a cup and a kettle of hot water are all you need for a cup of pu'er.
What Tea Goes into Pu'er Tea Bags?
The bags still hold pu'er. Common sources are:
- Finer grades sieved from loose tea: when loose ripe tea is sieved, the fine portion is just right for tea bags.
- Compressed tea broken or chopped up: cakes and bricks are pried apart or chopped and then bagged.
- Material selected specifically for tea bags: some brands choose material with fairly intact leaves and chop it only moderately, so the tea bags taste good too.
Tea bags come in both raw and ripe. Ripe pu'er bags are the most common, since ripe pu'er is sweet and smooth and hard to over-steep into bitterness, which suits how most people brew.
Pyramid Bags vs. Flat Tea Bags
| Pyramid bags (3D bags) | Flat tea bags | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Three-dimensional pyramid | Flat square or rectangle |
| Space | Roomy, leaves can unfurl | Tight, leaves packed together |
| Tea | Often fairly intact leaves or broken tea | Mostly fine broken tea |
| Releasing flavor | Full and layered once the leaves open | Very fast, strength builds quickly |
| Re-steeping | Often 2–3 times | Usually weak after one or two |
| Material | Clear mesh such as nylon or corn fiber | Mostly filter paper or non-woven fabric |
The pyramid design gives the leaves room to open inside the bag and lets water flow through more easily, so it can use more intact leaves, and the tea tastes closer to gaiwan-brewed tea.
Is Tea-Bag Tea Inferior?
Not necessarily. Tea-bag tea is usually finer, and broken tea releases flavor and builds strength quickly, so it turns bitter and astringent if steeped too long. That's why tea bags have a reputation for being "coarser." However:
- Broken tea and whole leaves may come from the same batch of material, just in different shapes.
- Good pyramid bags use fairly intact leaves and taste as good as loose tea.
- Tea bags are convenient and pre-portioned, perfect for the office and travel.
The fairest way to put it: tea bags are about convenience, and how good they taste depends on the material and how you brew them.
What Are Tea Bags Made Of?
Common tea bag materials include:
- Nylon mesh: clear, strong, and heat resistant, often used for pyramid bags.
- Corn fiber (PLA, polylactic acid): a material made from plant starch that looks similar to nylon mesh, also common for pyramid bags.
- Non-woven fabric: pressed fibers with good water permeability, used for both flat and pyramid bags.
- Filter paper: the most common material for traditional flat tea bags.
In Taiwan, packaging materials that come into contact with food must meet the hygiene standards for food utensils, containers, and packaging, and legitimate products must comply with the relevant regulations. The general rule is to steep with boiling water and not boil tea bags repeatedly for long periods.
How to Brew a Tea Bag
Use one bag with 250–350 ml of freshly boiled water and steep 2–3 minutes, or lift it out after 1–2 minutes if you like it lighter. Lengthen the second steep to 3–4 minutes. Cold brew works too: one bag in 500 ml of cool boiled water, refrigerated for 6–8 hours. Details are in How to Brew Pyramid Tea Bags.
Guyuntang's Pu'er Pyramid Tea Bag Gift Box holds 24 bags. The package doesn't state whether it's raw or ripe; if you'd like to know, please check with our staff.
Storing Tea Bags
The tea in a tea bag is fine with a lot of surface area, so its aroma fades quickly and it picks up odors easily. After opening, close the outer pouch or box, keep it somewhere dry, cool, and odor-free, and finish it within a few months.
Getting the Strength Right
The most convenient thing about tea bags is the fixed portion. To adjust the strength, change the amount of water and the time:
- Lighter: more water and less time, for example 350 ml for 1–2 minutes.
- Stronger: less water and more time, for example 250 ml for 3 minutes.
- Milk tea: steep a ripe pu'er bag strong in a smaller amount of water, then add warm milk.
Don't squeeze the bag when you lift it out. Squeezing presses bitterness and astringency out of the fine tea.
Choosing Between Tea Bags and Other Forms
Tea bags, dragon pearls, loose tea, and cakes each suit different occasions: tea bags are the easiest for the office and travel; dragon pearls are for brewing properly in a gaiwan without prying; loose tea suits regular drinking at home, brewing in quantity, or boiling; cakes are for collecting and long-term storage. For an overview of all the forms, see Cakes, Bricks, Tuocha, Dragon Pearls, and Loose Tea: The Shapes of Pu'er.
FAQ
What tea goes into pu'er tea bags? Still pu'er, usually finer grades sieved out or compressed tea broken or chopped up, in both raw and ripe, with ripe pu'er the most common.
What's the difference between pyramid bags and flat tea bags? Pyramid bags are roomy so the leaves can unfurl, giving a full flavor and allowing re-steeping; flat bags mostly hold fine broken tea and release flavor fast.
Is tea-bag tea inferior? Not necessarily. Tea bags are about convenience, and how good they taste depends on the material and how you brew them.
What are tea bags made of? Commonly nylon mesh, corn fiber (PLA), non-woven fabric, and filter paper.