Top 5 Places for Loose Leaf Tea in Mississauga

 

As the seasons change from summer to fall, the choice of beverages change from ice cold drinks to hot chocolate, lattes, coffee, and tea. Loose leaf tea (or as some call it "whole-leaf-tea") is thought to be a higher quality tea than bagged tea and contains small bits of broken leaves. Offering the numerous benefits of a higher quality tea, loose leaf tea is a favourite among regular tea drinkers.

5) Beanwise

Beanwise is a large retail store that provides high-quality coffees, teas, and equipment. In the middle of the store they have a coffee/tea sample bar where you can try a new flavour of coffee or tea before you purchase in bulk. The most popular tea brand they offer is Tea Squared. It is a premium loose leaf tea with natural flavors, herbs, and spices. I encourage you to try the pure energy loose leaf tea (80g) for $10.99. It smells amazing and it is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The blend is mixture of pineapple, citrus and mangosteen.

4) Java Works

The philosophy of sourcing, cupping, and roasting coffee beans is a staple of Java Works. However, Java Works carries a small section of high quality loose leaf teas that are often overlooked. The shop carries three brands of loose leaf tea; Mighty Leaf, Numi and Bigelow. The Mighty Leaf teas come in a variety of flavours that include chamomile citrus, detox infusion, ginger twist and vanilla bean. If you're looking for a high quality tea brand, try the herbal infusion tea variety, it is a great introduction to herbal tea blends with a mixture of African nectar, rainforest mat, ginger twist and organic mint melange. The box contains 15 wrapped biodegradable tea pouches for $9.99.

3) Buka Maranga Cafe and Catering

Buka Maranga has been famous for their finest gourmet-style bagels, breads and pastries for over 20 years. It is also the local gem of choice for people in the mood for large breakfast platters, sandwiches, spreads and lunches to go. As part of your meal, don't forget to order a tea. There are 12 types of loose leaf teas from the brand Numi that they offer. From aged Earl Grey, rooibos chai, ginger lemon, Moroccan mint, dry desert lime, orange spice, and gunpowder green, it was a tough decision. I settled on trying the ginger lemon. It was very delicious, relaxing and soothing for digestion after a large meal.

2) French Corner Patisserie

It's no surprise that French Corner offers the best lunches and desserts on-the-go. You'll be surprised that they also offer a variety of teas not listed on their menu. From classic black teas such as English breakfast, Earl Grey, ginger, and Canadian Breakfast, they also carry a selection of Tazo teas. I recommend trying the Tazo Berry Blossom White Tea, it is the perfect blend of white tea, cinnamon, white cranberry and blueberry.

1) The Tea Room

Established in 1885, The Tea Room - Robinson Bray House is a quaint heritage home that was restored and refurbished into an elegant tea house with an addition of a tea shop. The types of tea offered at the Tea Room are all loose leaf that contain antioxidants - polyphenols, flavonoids and catenins. From black, green, fruit, herbals, caffeine-free and honeybush, there are a variety of teas to choose from. If you're looking for a bolder and stronger flavor, try the raspberry fruit tea. It is considered a top grade fruit tea with bits of raspberry and leaves. For a small batch of loose leaf tea (50 grams) it is $6.50 and for the large (100 grams) it is $8.50.