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Jasmine Green Teas

Picture
Among all the tea lovers in the world that I meet, the first tea they often mention is “Jasmine” tea. It is in the menu of all the Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. So many people know its name, but will you ever wonder: “What am I really drinking? Jasmine or tea?”

 Jasmine tea, or, in Cantonese, Heung Peen  (which means “fragrant leaves”) is, in fact, green tea scented with jasmine flowers. It comes from the Dai Bak tea tree varietal, which is found in Fuding, Fujian province, where the fresh leaves are also made into white and red teas. During spring, from April to May, sprouting needles and leaves are picked every morning, brought down to the factory, then left in the shade to dry and cool off. After that, they are heat set in the oven, preventing fermentation. After this stage, the tea is immediately transported to the markets or stored and refrigerated to keep it fresh.

When the time for picking and processing of the green tea is over, the teas are sent to Guangxi for another stage of processing - scenting. Pre-bloom jasmine flowers are picked during the day, and will partly open in the evening. The jasmine buds are mixed into the green leaves, where they will slowly release their fragrance, with the leaves “breathing in” the aroma. The tea and flowers are left together overnight, and the wilted flowers are blown away the next morning.

High quality jasmine green tea has to go through at least three rounds of scenting to achieve long lasting aromas and flavours. Unfortunately, few restaurants are willing to spend that little extra to serve tea of this quality.

There is also an extravagant presentation of jasmine green teas - handcrafted blooming flower teas. Green silver needles (tea buds) and green tea leaves are tied or threaded together in a bouquet, along with jasmine but also other flowers such as lilies,  carnations, thistles and so on.  The bouquet is then shaped into a bead or other form with the help of an elastic cloth, then scented 6 times with Jasmine flowers.

It takes about one and a half days to finish a single round of scenting, so it will take at least nine to complete the entire scenting process,  but it’s well worth the wait when you see how amazing the tea is as it gradually “blossoms” in hot water.

When choosing  jasmine green tea, it is worth noting that  the good ones are naturally flowery, have a sweet aroma, and a moderate to strong, but never bitter, taste; in general, those with more silver needles will taste gentler than those with more leaves.

When choosing  blooming teas, besides considering the blooming effect, give them a sniff   –  some merchants skip the scenting process to lower costs. So make sure you smell jasmine, or you could end up having one that looks beautiful but does not have the aroma and taste of jasmine flowers.

Jasmine green teas are good for a cooling and relaxing afternoon with friends, and is a great palate cleanser before your hearty meals.

​http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1263669/yum-cha-bloom-town
MingCha Limited
Unit B2, 15/F., Block B, Fortune Factory Building, 40 Lee Chung Street, Chai Wan, H.K.
Tel: +852 2520 2116 Fax: +852 2577 9117
email:
customer@mingcha.com.hk


  • Jasmine Blossoms
    • MingCha Tea House
    • About MingCha
    • Our Team
  • Buy Tea
    • Tea Categories >
      • Jasmine Green Teas
      • Green Teas
      • Red Teas
      • Oolong Teas - Anxi
      • Oolong Teas - Phoenix
      • Oolong Teas - Wuyi
      • Black Teas
      • White Teas
      • Flower Teas
      • Japanese Teas
    • Special Collection
    • Wellness Tea Bags
    • Hello & Goodbye Gifts
    • Tea Basics >
      • What is tea?
      • How healthy is tea?
      • How to classify tea?
      • What are Jasmine green teas?
      • What are Green teas?
      • What are Red teas?
      • What are Oolong teas? >
        • Oolong Teas - Anxi
        • Oolong Teas - Phoenix
        • Oolong Teas -Wuyi
      • What are White teas?
      • What are Black teas?
  • Buy Tea Gift
    • Classic Tea
    • Private Reserve
    • Jasmine & Flower Tea
    • Wellness Gift Sets
    • Tea & Tea Ware
    • Tea & Food
    • Tea Tasting Workshops
    • by Price >
      • HKD100 or below
      • HKD101 - HKD200
      • HKD201 - HKD300
      • HKD301 - HKD400
      • HKD401 - HKD600
      • HKD601 - HKD999
      • HKD1,000 and up
    • Tea Gift Catalogue
    • Price List
  • Buy Tea Wares
    • Tea wares - Basic
    • Tea wares - Porcelain >
      • Porcelain - White
      • Porcelain - Blue & White
      • Porcelain - Celadon
      • Porcelain - Others
    • Tea wares - Yixing
    • Tea wares - Japanese
    • Tea Tools, Accessories
  • Tea Tasting Workshop
    • Tea Tasting & Pairing Workshop
    • Online Tea Tasting Experience
    • Tea for Family with Children
  • Corporate Service
    • Corporate Gifts
    • Corporate Events
    • Corporate Enquiries
  • CONTACT US
    • Customer Enquiries
    • Where to buy - Stockists
    • Wholesale Enquiries
  • Newsletters
  • 肥婆蘭講茶啦!
  • 肥婆蘭賣茶誌
  • News in Japanese
  • Media