Jasmine with Flowers Green Tea

Jasmine tea is one of the most pleasant tasting green teas available on the market. On the nose the dry tea has a floral bouquet, which literally causes your senses to come alive with pleasant thoughts. The flavour is enhanced with the addition of jasmine blossoms which give the tea a visual appeal few other teas are capable of copying.

There are many different grades of jasmine tea. This particular grade is the first grade below the exotic jasmines. It has all the flavor, aroma and good green tea qualities but not the exorbitant price. In China they declare this jasmine tea as ‘Jasmine #1’.

The production of jasmine tea is quite interesting. It is important to begin with high quality green tea - tea that has been produced between the middle of March and the middle of May. Equally important for jasmine tea are fine jasmine blossoms - flowers that bloom between the 1st of May and the end of May (these have the most intense aroma). Traditionally layers of jasmine blossoms were placed between fine green tea. In time the scent of the jasmine permeated the tea.

Today, for the better quality jasmine teas such as Jasmine with Flowers, the traditional method is still used.

Another method to apply the jasmine flavour but done more for high volume common jasmine is hot air is passed through the jasmine blossoms and then filtered through the tea so that the blossoms can be used more than once.

In both types of jasmine production the exhausted blossoms are then used to decorate the tea (to make common jasmine less noticeably different then the premium jasmine teas). Produced in both China and Taiwan, jasmine tea yields a cup with all the concentrated heady bouquet of a garden in bloom.

Hot tea brewing method:  When preparing by the cup, this tea can be used repeatedly - about 3 times. The secret is to use water that is about 180°F/82°C. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon in your cup let the tea steep for about 3 minutes and then begin enjoying a cup of enchantment - do not remove the leaves from the cup. Adding milk and sugar is not recommended. Once the water level is low - add more water, and so on and so on - until the flavor of the tea is exhausted. Look at the pattern of the leaves in the brew, not only do they foretell your fortune but you can see the bud and shoots presenting themselves, looking like they are about to be plucked.

Iced tea brewing method:  (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea or 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)