What Type of Paper & Texture Is Used With Tea Bag Folding?

Folding your own tea bag requires food grade filter paper.

Folding your own tea bags is an economical way to ensure that there are fewer chemical additives to your tea bag. Heat-sealed tea bags often include a glue on the inner surface to seal the bag. Folding your own tea bag allows you to use paper that has not been treated with sealant. Also, folding your own tea bags allows you to choose and blend teas to your personal preference.

Food Grade Paper

Food grade paper is paper that has met safety and health standards both internationally and in the country of distribution. Food grade paper for tea bags is often left uncolored and unbleached. Food grade paper has been deemed appropriate to either serve, prepare or present food on or in. Food grade paper must be low in harsh or toxic chemicals. If the paper is colored, it needs to be coated with a protective sealant so that the dye does not leach into the food products.

Filter Paper

Filter paper is a semi-permeable paper that allows liquids and air to flow through the barrier. Filter paper is used for liquid products such as milk and juices. It is also used to make coffee filters and commercial tea bags, including hand-folded ones. Filter paper needs to be porous, as well as being able to maintain strength when wet. Filter paper is available in different sizes and grades. Tea bag paper is often made of abaca fibers, which are hemp fibers that are very long and thin. The length of the fibers makes the tea bags stronger as they are less prone to breaking when wet.

Thickness

The thickness of the food grade filter paper chosen for your tea bag will affect how easily the bag can be folded and the size of the finished bag. A thicker piece of paper will be easier to make sharp folds with, and may hold its shape better. However, thicker paper will also make for a less porous tea bag, so the tea will need to steep longer in order to reach the desired strength. Thicker paper will also make for a larger bag, which may not be able to be accommodated by the tea pot or cup.

Porousness

The porousness of the paper will determine how long the tea needs to steep before the desired strength is reached. Generally, tea bag paper should be more porous than the filter paper used for either milk or coffee. This is because less tea is usually used per serving --- than with coffee --- and tea can only be steeped for a given length of time before it loses too much heat and becomes cold.

References

• Peral Enterprises: Abaca Fiber
• Shining Hwa Enterprise: Filter Paper
• Learn About Tea: History of the Tea Bag

Resources

• Learn About Tea: Using a Tea Bag
• Jill Britton: Tea Bag Folding
• Learn About Tea: Tea Information and Benefits: Online Resource Guide