I remember, many years ago, when tea leaves were used to make tea. A teapot often came with a beautiful snug cover, called a tea cosy, just to keep the teapot warm. There was even a mini industry - where the local grandmothers would compete with each other to create the best and most beautiful tea cosies .
Tea making was an art, and many long discussions went around the process. Some people warmed the pot first, others put their tea in first - others the hot water. There were rules for the amount of time that tea must steep, before it was ready for pouring.