Full leaves, or whole leaves, make the finest tea. Many tea bags are filled with broken leaves which don’t have as much flavor. Less expensive supermarket brands use fannings, the dust (think “crumbs”) left over from processing the leaves.

Open up a tea bag from the brand you favor, shake the contents on a plate and look at them closely. If you see broken bits and fannings, you’re not getting quality tea. (That’s also why sugar and milk are required to make the drink enjoyable for many people. The finest tea can—and should—be drunk straight.)

By the way, “whole leaf” refers to black, green, oolong and white teas, made from the Camelia sinensis plant. The term doesn’t apply to herbal infusions, although as with every product, there is a range of quality of the ingredients.

Learn all about fine tea in our Tea Glossary.

The bags are now whole leaf. Photo by
Benjamin D. Esham | Wikimedia Commons.

M-I-C-K-E-Y chocolate gifts are fun.
Photo courtesy Leonidas.com.

The retro keepsake gift box contains 16 pieces of chocolate embossed with Mickey’s smiling face, in four different flavors:

• Milk chocolate filled with caramel flan
• Marble chocolate filled with a hazelnut praliné ganache
• White chocolate filled with hazelnut praliné and pieces of biscuits (cookies)
• Dark chocolate filled with hazelnut praliné

Visit Leonidas.com or phone 1-800-900-CHOC.

Do you think Minnie will be getting a box for Valentine’s Day?

We think they’re a lovely gift for a deserving young lady. Find them at William Greenberg Desserts, or phone 1.800.255-8278.

Looking for more Valentine goodies for the kids?

Check out the Mickey Mouse chocolates above, and see our Best Valentine’s Gifts for Kids list, including heart-shaped cookies and brownies and the cutest mice and penguin bonbons from Burdick Chocolate, a NIBBLE top pick of the week.

The black & white goes pink & white for
Valentine’s Day. Photo courtesy
WmGreenbergDesserts.com.

Try all 13 flavors of Green & Black’s organic
chocolate bars if you’re one of the five
lucky winners! Photo courtesy Green & Black’s.

If you or your Valentine is the type who appreciates a finer chocolate bar than newsstand brands, enter this week’s Gourmet Giveaway for your chance to win the entire line of Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate Bars. With strong flavors that include Cherry, Espresso, Ginger and Mint—and the newest flavor, Peanut—each bar has something different to offer—as you’ll be more than happy to discover.

• THE PRIZE: Five winners will take home the entire line of Green & Black’s chocolate bars. Flavors include Almond, Cherry, Dark 70%, Dark 85%, Espresso, Ginger, Hazelnut & Currant, Maya Gold, Milk 34%, Mint, Peanut, Toffee and White. Approximate retail value: $45.00.
• To Enter This Gourmet Giveaway: Go to the box at the bottom of our Gourmet Chocolate Section and enter your email address for the prize drawing. This contest closes on Monday, February 15th at noon, Eastern Time. Good luck!

• SPECIAL DISCOUNT: In celebration of the launch of the new Peanut bar, Green & Black’s is offering a special $1 off coupon for customers. Click here to print the downloadable coupon that can be used at select retailers.
• Find out more about the chocolate at GreenAndBlacks.com. 

How about a dozen “long-stemmed” steak strips?

Gary West, makers of our favorite jerky and a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week, has created this meaty gift for that someone special who’d rather bite into beef than chocolate—the person for whom nothing says ”I Love You” like a jerky bouquet.

Your lucky Valentine will receive a dozen moist, tender, flavorful steak strips in your choice of flavor combinations (Black Pepper, Cajun, Teriyaki and Traditional). That’s 12 ounces of steak, wrapped in red tissue paper.

• Send some now at GaryWest.com. The jerky bouquet is $35.00, which includes standard shipping.
• Read our review of Gary West gourmet jerky.
• Find more savory Valentine’s gifts (for people who don’t like sweets).

A dozen long-stemmed steak jerky strips are the
perfect Valentine’s Day gift for someone you know.
Photo courtesy GaryWest.com.