Scented teas can be infused with many fragrances.Chrysanthemum, Gardenia, Osmanthus, Rose, Magnolia and Jasmine are some of the more common flower scents in tea. By far, Jasmine is the most popular fragrance of them all. This is also my favorite tea. Many cities in China produce Jasmine tea. The best Jasmine tea comes from Fujian Province in China. Due to the favorable weather conditions and good soil, Fujian Province is perect for tea farming. This region is also known to produce excellent Oolong tea.

Making Jasmine tea takes two steps. The first step is to pick young tea leaves in the spring. Tender young leaves are the best for making the base tea. The processed tea will store in a cool place until the Jasmine flowers blossom in the summer. Tea leaves are air dry and prepare to be infused with the fragrance from the flowers. Jasmine flowers are plucked during summer months. To be precise, they are plucked between July and September, from noon to 4pm. They look for blossoms that are ½ inch in size and just turning from ivory to a white color. For the next 4 hours after plucking, the Jasmine flowers are kept at a warm temperature with the base tea. This encourages the flowers to open and the scent to infuse with the tea. To create a strong scent, some tea receives multiple infusion of the flower scent. The flowers can be discarded after infustion; they may be kept for showing customers.

Adding Jasmine tea to food gives it the extra luxurious aroma.This Jasmine sauce is so delicious when added to fruit salad. Brew 2 teaspoons of Jasmine tea in 1/3 cup of hot water.  Melt 2 tablespoons of honey and  add zest and juice of 1 lime. Marinate fruits for just one hour before serving. 

Another way to use Jasmine tea is to add it when cooking rice. When cooking rice, try to replace part of the water with tea. The extra goodness of the tea and the aroma of the Jasmine flowers add more to the palate.  

Morning Glory Teahouse now has Jasmine Ring from Fujian Province. Order it today at www.MorningGloryTeahouse.com.