JASMINE TEA

The Unique Qualities of Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is probably the most popular flavoured green tea of all. Other than Chinese green tea which is usually used as the base, jasmine flavours can sometimes also be found with white teas. The jasmine blossom offers a delicate sweet fragrance to the tea making it a good accompaniment to most meals especially spicy ones.

The preparation of jasmine tea demands a great deal of skill, understanding, dedication and experience. It is a practice which is often passed down through generations. Jasmine season is very short as the flowers tend to blossom in June so it’s all hands to the deck for a short period of time.

Jasmine tea is incredibly popular all over the world due to its smooth, delicate flavour and beautiful fragrance. It also offers a uniquely appealing appearance thanks to the colourful petals and silvery leaf buds making it a fantastic gift option for any tea lover.

Harvesting and Production

Jasmine tea takes a great deal of skill, knowledge and dedication to prepare at its optimum. The traditional methods of production depend heavily on the tea master having an incredible understanding of weather patterns, harvesting and crops both of the green tea plants and the jasmine blossom plants. This is why the tea master’s role is so often passed down through generations within the same families.

As jasmine tea is now so popular, it is produced in many regions of China, each with different climates and temperatures. It therefore requires adapted methods of production in each region. Some more humid or temperate regions demand the jasmine plant to be grown in pots so it can be moved indoors as and when required. The best region for harvesting is considered to be the Fujian region.

Jasmine tea is usually made based on a green tea (although white tea is also sometimes used) thanks to its light taste enabling the jasmine fragrance and flavour to flourish. For production, the green tea leaves have to be plucked and then dried earlier in the year.

The best green tea leaves are chosen and stored until June when the jasmine flowers can be picked. The flowers are usually picked in the early spring evenings when the buds are still quite tight and left until later in the evening when the flowers open up. This releases the essential oils and the characteristic fragrance. The flowers are then packed tightly with the tea so the leaves can take on the scent.

The process might be repeated from three up to ten times, each time with fresh flowers, depending on the desired intensity. The more times it is repeated, the higher the quality of the final product. The mix is then dried and immediately ready for consumption. The dried jasmine petals are often mixed in with the green tea leaves for a more beautiful and appealing appearance but this is not necessary.

The quality and price of the final product depends on the quality of the green tea leaves and the jasmine blossom as well as how often it is blended and flavoured. Jasmine tea production depends heavily on optimum weather conditions, a good harvest and the skills of the tea master.

History of Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is thought to have been produced in China for thousands of years starting in the South-Song Dynasty (approximately 1240) and further developed during the Ming Dynasty. It is believed that the jasmine plant was originally brought to China along the Silk road from Iran (then called Persia) in around 300AD for decorative purposes only. It wasn’t until much later that the sweet scent of the jasmine flower was recognised for its qualities in tea.

The production of Jasmine tea was perfected over hundreds of years and really reached a height of popularity in the 1900s when it started to be traded overseas in large proportions, particularly to Taiwan where they eventually invested in the plant seeds and started growing the plant itself. Although jasmine continues to be produced in Taiwan to this day, Chinese Jasmine tea is regarded much more highly for its quality and the skills of the craftsmanship which have been passed down through generations.

The production methods used for jasmine tea needed reassessing in the 1900s when its popularity grew and production spread to all parts of China. The plants had to be grown indoors in pots in some regions because of the differing temperatures and climates. These changes inevitably led to raised production costs.

Later in 1980 the Guangxi Province became the most highly regarded province to develop the best jasmine flowers after a government drive and lots of investment. To today the popularity of Jasmine tea shows no signs of degrease.

How to Brew Jasmine Tea

Whether you want to use the loose leaves or try a tea bag infusion, the standard process is the same.

The standard process is as follows:

1. Boil some freshly poured cold water
2. Place the tea leaves in a tea strainer
3. Pour the hot water over the leaves
4. Steep the tea for the appropriate amount of time
5. Strain the tea
6. Add a dash of milk to taste, sweeten if required
7. Sit back and enjoy!

Brewing Table

   Ranging from 1 levelled teaspoon to 1 heaped teaspoon 

   2 – 3 minutes

   A range of colours including: Yellow/Green, Bright Yellow, Light Yellow, Golden yellow

NOTE: Please make sure to read the individual brewing instructions on each package of tea.

We love Jasmine tea here at Cup of Tea- a firm favourite!

Our Jasmine tea favourites are below:

Ronnefeldt Jasmine Xian Yu        Ronnefeldt Jasmine Pearls       Ronnefeldt Jasmine with Petals 

• Ronnefeldt Jasmine Xian Yu: Freshly picked jasmine blossoms lend this tea its wonderfully delicate, famous, sweet and flowery character.
• Ronnefeldt Jasmine Pearls: The leaves of this rare speciality tea from China are picked by hand and rolled into small balls, without breaking the veins, and flavoured with jasmine flowers.
• Ronnefeldt Jasmine with Petals:  Based on a true summery Chinese green tea this tea is gentle scented with subtle floral jasmine blossoms some of which are left within the blend to create an appeal for the eye as much as for the taste buds.