I did meet a twit at Market Spice one time who insisted (in the interest of her bottom line, I think) that tea over six months old should be tossed and replaced. I've since spoken to a Chinese tea drinker who tells me that the older the tea the more valuable. He is a wealthy man who described some recent purchases. I regretfully tossed a couple of packets before I met him, but I couldn't make myself get rid of all of it. Good thing.

"Aren't tea bags generally just loose tea . . . in a bag?"

Ah - originally, yes, but nowadays they can be a useful way to profitably dispose of all those 'floor sweepings' - the tiny broken bits of teas leaves that would not be acceptable in 'packet tea'.

Yorkshire and Yorkshire gold is very finely processed tea. How does this fit the formula? I like loose tea that becomes large leaves in my pot. But I don't take the tea out after it steeps, I pour it out of the pot and drink it. My Chinese friend also said to always use ceramic (never metal) pots and to never wash the pot. And he insists that the loose tea can be reused, that I can pour in more hot water and use it again. I wonder if he is using a small pot in which the contents are completely poured out after one cup? I'll have to ask him. The way mine brews I drink two or three cups over the space of an hour or more.

And milk will never cloud my tea. Ugg!

SRS