Jasmine tea is tea

Tea

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...

 with added jasmine

Jasmine

Jasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...

 flowers. It originates from the time of the Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

 (960–1279). Normally, jasmine tea is based on green tea

Green tea

Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...

 or white tea

White tea

White tea is a lightly oxidized tea grown and harvested almost exclusively in China, primarily in the Fujian province.White tea comes from the delicate buds and younger leaves of the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. These buds and leaves are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are...

. The resulting flavor of jasmine tea is subtly sweet. It is the most famous scented tea in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

.

Tea scented with jasmine flowers has been a specialty in China since the Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

 ruled over 800 years ago. The Jasmine plant is believed to have been brought to the world from China sometime during the Period of Disunity

Period of Disunity

The Period of Disunity, also known as the Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties , first disunion, was a long period of disunity and civil wars in China, lasting from 220 to 589...

 (220-589).

The jasmine plant is grown at high elevation in the mountains. The jasmine tea produced in Fujian

Fujian

' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...

 province, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 enjoys the best reputation. Jasmine tea is also produced in Hunan

Hunan

' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...

, Jiangsu

Jiangsu

' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...

, Jiangxi

Jiangxi

' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...

, Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

, Guangxi

Guangxi

Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...

, and Zhejiang

Zhejiang

Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...

 provinces.

Preparation

It is harvested in the spring and stored until early summer when fresh Jasmine flowers are in bloom. Jasmine flowers are picked early in the day when the small petals are tightly closed. The flowers are kept cool until nightfall. In the early evening when the flowers begin to open, the tea is blended with the Jasmine flowers and stored overnight. The night blooming Jasmine flowers then open and release their fragrance into the tea. It takes over four hours for the tea to absorb the fragrance and flavor of the jasmine blossoms; this process may be repeated for as many as six or seven times. The tea absorbs moisture from the fresh Jasmine flowers so it must be re-fired to prevent spoilage.

Cultural uses

In northern China it is customary to serve Jasmine tea as a welcoming gesture to guests.

See also

Jasmine species commonly used as an ingredients for Jasmine tea:

• Jasminum officinale
  Jasminum officinale
  Jasminum officinale is a species of jasmine, in the family Oleaceae, famous for its scent.-Garden history:...
  
  - the Common Jasmine
• Jasminum sambac
  Jasminum sambac
  Jasminum sambac is a species of jasmine native to South and Southeast Asia. It is a small shrub or vine growing up to in height. It is widely cultivated for its attractive and sweetly fragrant flowers. The flowers are also used for perfumes and for making tea. It is known as the Arabian jasmine in...
  
  - the Sampaguita