Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is a blended tea made with a base and jasmine flowers. In some cases jasmine tea refers to a tea made only with jasmine, but this is less common. Jasmine tea is one of the favorites when it comes to scented teas.  Tea of any kind has a rich history in many cultures. Probably the most famous is the use of tea in Chinese culture. Jasmine tea can be dated back more than 800 years ago during the Song Dynasty. Today it is produced in many countries, but China still produces the highest quality jasmine that can be found. Chinese jasmine tea is easily found on the market. If you tea shop at an actual tea store, they will usually list the origin of the tea on the containers.  If you are considering adding jasmine tea to your pantry, here are a few reasons to consider this, and some things to keep in mind.

Benefits of Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is a sweet treat, but jasmine tea properties can also be quite useful. It can be enjoyed after a meal to help ease digestion, or to curb a sweet tooth. Tea is also known to be full of antioxidants. These antioxidants slow down cell death. This means a more youthful appearance for your skin, as well as prolonged health for vital organs. Adding this as a diet tea can also be beneficial. It can help keep you full for longer, and speed up your metabolism allowing you to lose weight more quickly. A study done in Hong Kong in 1999 also showed some benefit with lowering unhealthy cholesterol levels. Jasmine is believed to help in absorbing fat, allowing it to pass through your body more easily. For those on a cholesterol medication adding jasmine tea can help reduce the numbers more quickly. The scent of jasmine is enough to sooth most people who are on edge, and drinking jasmine tea is a good way to unwind after a hard day. It can also ease headaches caused by stress or tension.

Preparation

There are two main methods for making jasmine tea. The first method combines the dried flowers from the jasmine plant with a tea base. In most cases white or green tea is used. Mixing it with white tea will put more of the flavor emphasis on the sweet jasmine itself. Mixing it with green tea will give it more balance, and create a bolder tea flavor with a light jasmine flavor. The other method is to use the jasmine flower by itself. This isn’t as common, but it can be a beautiful presentation. If you find blooming teas, such as Numi jasmine tea, you can place the jasmine blossom tea dried flowers in a clear pitcher and add hot water. As the tea brews, the flowers open. The flavor of straight jasmine will be much lighter, and heavy on the floral notes. The blooms can be used multiple times as well.

Hot or Iced Tea

Jasmine tea is one of those teas that tastes great both hot or cold. For hot tea, it goes well with ginger sugars or honey. Cold tea is best with a green tea base and a zest of lemon or orange. Many people prefer the sweeter teas, so they will add sugar to the cold jasmine tea before serving.