Ditch the Bag: Loose-Leaf Indulgence Is Your Cup of Tea

Simply dropping teabags into a mug not only yields an unsatisfying, solitary brew, Tony Turnbull writes in the Times of London—it spoils the ceremony and anticipation crucial for enjoyment. A teashop visit converted the self-described “inveterate teabag user” into a fan of the “strange alchemy” that transforms dried tea leaves into a perfect cup.

Turnbull learned to forget the Zen stuff and focus on process: A truly transcendent experience "starts not with the tea, but with the pot," (opt for Chinese clay) then focuses on the proper temperature and pouring techniques. As for the tea, buy it loose, as you would tomatoes on the vine—that way, "any faults become more visible." (More tea stories.)