Jasmine Tea
© Denzil Green
Jasmine Tea is tea leaves that have been infused with scent of jasmine flowers. There is a very floral scent to the tea.
The tea leaves can be green or oolong tea leaves, or occasionally, black tea.
Already cured tea leaves are used in making the tea. Jasmine flowers are picked during the day, and stored until night. As night approaches, the flowers are placed over top the tea leaves, because it is at night that, even picked, the flowers will open and release their fragrance. The tea leaves need at least 4 to 5 hours of exposure to the blooms.
Jasmine Plant
© Paula Trites
Sometimes the process is repeated over a few nights. Top grades of jasmine tea will repeat the process for up to 12 nights.
After this, the tea leaves are heat cured again, to remove any moisture they picked up from the flowers, so that the tea won’t spoil in storage.
Occasionally, some flowers may be left in the tea as a decoration — but they will be flavourless and scentless by this point.
History Notes
The process of making Jasmine Tea was developed in China sometime between the 900s and 1300s AD.