Yes, and you’ll taste the difference immediately. Most commercial tea bags contain broken inferior leaves, tea dust, and microplastics that can leach into your cup when steeped. Loose-leaf tea uses larger, whole or partial leaves with minimal processing. These leaves unfurl when steeped allowing better extraction, release natural oils, layers of flavor, and aroma that tea bags can’t deliver.

Loose-leaf tastes cleaner, fresher, and more alive. It's like upgrading from instant coffee to freshly ground coffee beans.

If you already drink tea in tea bags, start with what you already love. If you’re a chai person, try our organic masala chai. If you drink green tea, go for something smooth like Japanese sencha or a classic jasmine green.

No tea experience at all? Come into our Laguna Beach shop and we’ll ask what you like to drink, how you want to feel, and whether caffeine matters to you. Then we’ll show you options that you can smell. Your nose will tell you everything.

If you’re shopping online, start with a few 1-ounce packs so you can explore without over-committing. There’s no wrong choice here. Tea is personal, and we’ll help you find yours.

Here's the overall process:

1. Use about 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea per 8 oz (250 ml) of water
2. Heat water to the appropriate temperature for your tea type.
3. Steep for the appropriate time for the tea type.

Not to worry, our loose leaf tea packs tell you everything you need to know, including the tea type, the correct temperature and the steep time.

In terms of equipment, you'll need a way to heat the water. An electric kettle is the easiest thing. A stovetop kettle works too. We don't recommend heating the water in the microwave because the water heats unevenly, so you end up with pockets of super-hot water that scorch the tea and ruin the flavor.

And you'll also need a tea infuser of some kind to contain the leaves during the steeping phase. It can be a proper tea infuser or empty tea bags. Alternatively, you can brew the tea leaves loose in water, and then use a strainer while pouring into your cup. Your choice! As we always say at the shop "there is no tea police, you can make tea however you like it!"

Here's everything you need to know about making loose leaf tea all in one place.

We sell our teas at $7 or $8 per oz (with some exceptions). Each 1-ounce pack makes about 6 to 10 cups of tea depending on the leaf size. Because quality leaves like ours can be re-steeped, you’ll often get 12 to 20 cups per ounce.

So that's about 40 to 60 cents per cup for our loose leaf teas. Cheaper than a pack of gum!

All of our loose-leaf teas are packed fresh in our Laguna Beach shop. We also offer in-store refills to reduce waste.

All "true" teas, like white tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea and pureh tea, come from the camellia sinensis plant and contain caffeine in different amounts based on they are finished.

For reference, a cup of coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine. White tea has about 15 mg, green tea has about 25 mg, black tea has about 50 mg. Matcha, though it's a green tea, has about 75 mg.

It's really important to note that the caffeine in tea gives you energy without the jitters because it comes paired with L-theanine and polyphenols. So your body gets a slow, gentle release instead of a spike. That's why you see L-theanine being added to many stress relief drinks. Tea is the natural way to stay clear, focused and grounded, not wired. That’s the real magic of tea!

Herbal tea and functional blends like Bloat No More, Goodnight, Chamomile, Rooibos tea, Peppermint, and our Ayurvedic blends have little to no caffeine and perfect for evenings.

For a calm energy in the morning, try a black tea, a full-bodied green, or masala chai. For nights, reach for herbal tea or gentle white teas.

If you’re caffeine-sensitive, stop by the shop and we’ll help you find what works best for you.

At Tea & Turmeric we are proud of our functional wellness teas which are built around botanicals. These are the same herbs, roots, flowers, and spices that people have relied on for centuries to support the body. Every culture has its own version of plant medicine, and we draw from that history to create our blends.

We approach tea through an Ayurvedic, holistic lens that focuses on how it makes your body feel, not just how it tastes.

• For stress, try Divine Tulsi Rose or Stress Less to unwind and rebalance.
• For energy, Matcha and Runner's High black tea to give you steady focus without the crash.
• For digestion, Bloat No More and Digestive Aid use ginger, fennel, and peppermint to support a comfortable gut.
• For sleep, Dream Catcher and Goodnight help quiet the mind before bed.

We delve into the wellness aspect of tea (and spices) on our The Tea on Wellness podcast, which is ranked among the top 25% of new wellness podcasts. Check it out to learn more about stress, sleep, energy, and the stories behind the herbs we use every day.

Both, and that’s the point. Our Ayurvedic focus connects tea and spices as part of the same wellness story.

On the tea side, we carry a solid lineup of traditional Asian and English teas for the purists, but the heart of our shop is our tea blends. You’ll find a huge selection of loose leaf tea blends and functional tea blends on our shelves.

On the spice side, we carry organic whole and ground spices and Ayurvedic reset kits designed to boost digestion, immunity, and flavor.

Our signature Indian Made Easy spice kits are super popular. They are hand-mixed in small batches using traditional recipes inspired by our grandmother.

Everything we carry is tasted, tested, approved by us and is always fresh. Nothing sits on our shelves long or exists just to fill space. Stop by and experience it for yourself!

A solid everyday set of spices consists of something like this: black pepper, good salt, garlic and onion powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, and bright herbs like basil or parsley.

With this lineup, you can season just about anything from soups and veggies to rubs, sauces, and even baking. It’s the kind of kit that makes weeknight cooking feel easy.

At Tea & Turmeric, we carry a wonderful selection of organic spices and seasonings, so you can stock any kitchen with one visit!

Spices and teas don’t suddenly go bad. They just fade slowly. They taste their best for about a year, but if the aroma is still strong, they’re okay to use.

Keep spices and teas in airtight containers and tuck them somewhere cool and dark, away from heat, light, and moisture for maximum longevity and flavor!

Tea is sensory. You can’t smell it through a screen, and that’s half the experience.

When you walk into our Laguna Beach shop, you can open the sniffer tins, breathe in the aroma, and know exactly what you’re taking home. People drive from all over Southern California for that moment because your nose tells you the truth long before a product page does.

We’re a family-owned, family-run shop, and we blend many of our loose teas and spice mixes right here in Laguna Beach.

Ayurveda is our specialty, and we choose suppliers who work with small family farms that care about quality, sustainability, and ethics as much as we do.

Everything is fresh, and we strive to carry as many organic tea and spices as possible. We taste every batch before it goes on the shelf.