I will be traveling from Canada to Europe via US. I have to bring to a friend 500gr (about 1 lb.) of premium Earl Grey tea from a local shop.

With the idea of minimizing trouble with customs officers, I am looking for recommendations as to whether I should place a (fairly large) bag of tea leaves in my carry-on or checked luggage.

(I am currently tempted to place this in a Ziploc with my carry-on for easy inspection if required.)