Jasmine Tea

To suffuse the tea with the scent of jasmine, the flowers are picked as they begin to bloom and layered over the tea leaves overnight; the tea quickly absorbs the jasmine aroma, leaving the petals pretty but useless; any which remain in the final product are there simply for decoration. This flavouring process is repeated with several batches of flowers.

Most jasmine tea is made with green tea or pouchong leaves, and should be brewed using water which is very hot but not boiling, and if you are using loose leaf tea you shouldn't need more than a pinch for a cup.

Jasmine tea bags generally contain several times as much tea as you need for a cup; to compensate for this, you may want to remove the bag after only a few seconds.

Never add milk to jasmine tea.

Jasmine has been used to scent and flavor every variety of tea: white, black, green and oolong.

Regardless of the variety of jasmine tea you choose, you should make the time and effort to brew the tea correctly to ensure the best flavor. First, begin with the best loose tea. Really good tea may cost a bit more, but its quality is unmistakable.

Brewing good tea requires fresh cold water. Put the water in a clean tea kettle and bring it to a boil on the stove. Meanwhile, put hot tap water in your teapot to warm it up while the water is heating. Once the water boils, remove the tap water from your pot and add your tea leaves.

For white jasmine tea, use about 2 teaspoons of loose tea per cup. For other jasmine teas, you'll only need about 1 teaspoon per cup. Follow the table below to choose the appropriate water temperature and steeping time for your jasmine tea.

* Black jasmine: Boiling, 3-5 minutes
* White jasmine: 185°F, 5-8 minutes
* Green jasmine: 160°F, 1-2 minutes
* Oolong jasmine: Boiling, 2-3 minutes

Too much steeping and your tea will be bitter; too little and the tea will be thin and weak. Water that is too hot for delicate teas like green and white will compromise the tea's light flavor.

Jasmine tea, particularly, green and white jasmine teas, are also wonderful for iced tea. The jasmine fragrance and light sweetness are perfect for a hot day. To make iced tea, brew several servings of tea at once and cool. For white and green teas, allow the tea to cool completely before you add ice. Adding ice to the hot tea may dilute the delicate flavor too much, making it taste weak and flavorless.