Tea of the Month February- Jasmine

Now I know that this is an old standby for many of you but it's still worthy of mention. Those of you who were raised in North America probably grew up drinking this tea at local chinese restaurants. In fact this is probably the first type of tea that I ever had. I picked this one for February because I'm still in the mood for fragrant tea and the combination of the heat and scent of the tea practically chase all winter thoughts away.

Jasmine tea is the oldest known scented tea; it had its origins in the Hunnan province of China during the Sung Dynasty, more than 700 years ago. Nowadays jasmine tea is produced in Taiwan and Viet Nam, as well as China. Most believe that the Fujian region of China produces the best jasmine tea because it is this area of China that produces the largest and most heavily scented jasmine blossoms and the loosest green tea leaves; the looser the tea leaves, the better they are able to absorb the jasmine fragrance.

Jasmine tea is usually, but not always, based on green tea. Jasmine flowers (jasminum sambac)are used to infuse the leaves. The jasmine flower opens only at night and is plucked in the morning when the tiny petals are tightly closed. They are then stored in a cool place until night time. Between six and eight in the evening, as the temperature cools, the petals begin to open. Flowers and tea are put together in machines that control temperature and humidity. It takes four hours or so for the tea to absorb the fragrance and flavour of the jasmine blossoms, and for the highest grades, this process may be repeated as many as seven times. Then because the tea has absorbed moisture from the flowers, it must be refired to prevent spoilage. The spent flowers may or may not be removed from the final product; the flowers no longer contain any aroma but are sometime left for appearance.

The tea I purchased, was considered to be a fairly high grade (I'm, basing this on the price in comparison to the other jasmine teas situated next to it). I don't have enough Mandarin to ask how many times the blossoms were applied to the leaves, and besides, I did not know that before I purchased it. This tea has been rolled into small balls. At this time, I don't know why this is, but it is a question I will be asking. In the meantime, I learnt something new about something I have liked for a long time.