After opening the tea bag, there are two small bags next to the tea leaves. I believe that most people will leave these with the tea leaves. They think that leaving these two bags in the tea bag will keep the tea fresh. Is this really the case?
- What are the two small bags?
The one in contact with the tea leaves is called the "oxygen scavenger" and the one outside the tea bag is called the "desiccant".
- Which bag should I throw away first?
The "oxygen absorber" is discarded and the "desiccant" is kept.
- What is "oxygen scavenger"?
"Oxygen scavenger" (deoxidizer), as the name suggests, can absorb oxygen to achieve the effect of eliminating oxygen. The principle is that in the process of iron powder oxidation, it will absorb oxygen and produce the effect. It can only be used once. When the tea bag is opened, the "oxygen scavenger" has no effect and it will feel agglomerated to the touch. By the way, the hand warmer is a deoxidizer with a large capacity. It is based on the effect that occurs after the iron powder is oxidized.
- What is a "desiccant"?
A "desiccant" is usually transparent in appearance and contains many small transparent particles. Its function is to absorb moisture from the air to keep food dry and extend its shelf life. There will also be blue particles in the transparent small particles of silica gel. When the blue indicator particles turn transparent pink, it means that the desiccant has absorbed moisture and needs to be replaced with a new one.
Light, moisture, air and temperature are not the only factors that affect the flavour of tea. The aluminum foil bag can isolate light and oxygen, the desiccant can reduce moisture and the deoxidizer can remove oxygen. All these details add up to prolong the flavour of the tea.
Additional Reading:
https://www.yoshantea.com/pc/news.php?id=21061560c8010134c8c&lang=en
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