From Silk Pouch to Tea Bag

Tea was once brewed loose in a pot, so the leaves had to be strained before pouring. In nineteen hundred and eight, tea merchant Thomas Sullivan mailed samples in small silk pouches to customers. Some customers reportedly steeped the sealed pouches directly, although historians question whether this was the first tea bag. Metal infusers already held loose leaves, but they were reusable devices rather than disposable portions. Sullivan's silk sachets, by contrast, were intended as sample packaging, not necessarily as brewing tools. In nineteen thirty, engineer William Hermanson patented a paper bag sealed with heat, later adopted by tea companies. The paper was porous enough for water to pass through, yet strong enough to contain damp leaves. That design made individual servings cleaner to handle and cheaper to distribute than silk sachets. Consistent portions also suited shops and offices, where quick preparation mattered more than ritual. A sample wrapper had quietly become a brewing device, changing not the tea but its daily convenience.