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How Do I Choose the Best Green Jasmine Tea?

Naomi Smith
Naomi Smith

Jasmine tea can be made from black, white or green tea, but the most popular version is green jasmine tea. It is made by a two-step process that involves first harvesting the tea and later scenting it with jasmine. The most expensive green jasmine tea is made from buds that have been hand-rolled into large pearls, but it is possible to get a delicious less-expensive version by purchasing good-quality green tea that has been infused with jasmine. Avoid inexpensive bagged teas or "jasmine-flavored" products, and buy the tea from a reputable tea shop if there is one in your area.

For a truly luxurious experience, choose jasmine pearls, often called dragon or phoenix pearl tea. Only the silver tips of young green tea leaves and buds are rolled into large pearl-shaped balls in the spring, then stored until summer when the jasmine blooms. Freshly picked jasmine petals are layered with the pearls to absorb the aroma. During steeping, the pearl opens into a beautiful flower in your cup. High-quality jasmine pearls can be steeped again to produce a second or even third delicately scented cup.

Jasmine is often blended with green tea.
Jasmine is often blended with green tea.

A middle-quality green jasmine tea is made with unrolled tea leaves that have been infused with jasmine flowers. This method does not include the bud, and the quality is determined by the base tea. Choose a product made with the best green tea you can afford. The least-expensive green jasmine tea is made with broken tea leaves and uses jasmine oil rather than being infused with fresh jasmine petals. This might be the case with cheap bagged tea that can be found in grocery stores, so for high-quality green jasmine tea, avoid pre-bagged products unless they come from a quality tea shop.

High-quality green tea infused with jasmine is a cheaper alternative to jasmine pearls.
High-quality green tea infused with jasmine is a cheaper alternative to jasmine pearls.

When visiting a tea shop, be sure to smell and look at the tea before purchasing any. Reputable tea shops allow you to examine a sample from the container. Loose tea should be stored in airtight containers that do not allow in light, which can cause the tea to deteriorate. Pretty clear glass or plastic jars do not protect the tea, so consider choosing a different shop.

The health benefits of jasmine in tea have not be verified.
The health benefits of jasmine in tea have not be verified.

If you are buying green jasmine tea pearls, make sure that the pearls are of uniform size and shape, especially when selecting the lower-price teas. This ensures that the tea will steep evenly in the cup. For non-pearl green jasmine tea, select a tea that has quality leaves, as you would with any green tea.

If you do not have a local tea shop, you can find many sources online. Be sure to choose a company that has photographs of the different teas, so you can select precisely the product that you want. Many online tea shops have customer reviews to help you choose a product with more confidence. When possible, especially with expensive green jasmine tea pearls, purchase a sample-size portion to try before you commit to making a large purchase.

Discussion Comments

lluviaporos

@pleonasm - Higher quality tea is also more expensive though and I don't think it's any healthier. It's probably better to have three cups of tea from bags per day than one cup from loose leaf.

Although green jasmine tea doesn't seem to be especially healthier than green tea without jasmine.

pleonasm

@browncoat - It's not difficult at all to make at home, especially if you aren't too bothered with making the highest quality possible. You can just get jasmine green tea bags at the supermarket and make it like ordinary sweet tea, by brewing the tea bags and adding sugar or sweetener. Then, just pop it in the fridge until it cools down.

As it says in the article, though, the best quality is loose leaf and especially pearl tea. It's not really much more difficult to make the tea with that, but you will need a proper strainer of some kind to contain the leaves and they usually have to seep longer.

The problem with tea bags is that they often use very tiny bits of low quality leaves so that the tea will soak faster and your cup will be ready more quickly. But the tea is never as nice as when you take a few minutes longer and make yourself a nicer cup.

browncoat

I often get a bottle of sweet green jasmine tea when I eat at my favorite sushi restaurant and it's about the only thing I'll drink that has sugar in it. It's just so delicious and refreshing and they don't seem to have a version with artificial sweeteners.

I should probably learn how to make it at home since I like it so much but at the moment it's just a nice treat I have every now and then.

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    • Jasmine is often blended with green tea.
      By: nadsud
      Jasmine is often blended with green tea.
    • High-quality green tea infused with jasmine is a cheaper alternative to jasmine pearls.
      By: aleksandra_1981
      High-quality green tea infused with jasmine is a cheaper alternative to jasmine pearls.
    • The health benefits of jasmine in tea have not be verified.
      By: peterkai
      The health benefits of jasmine in tea have not be verified.
    • When buying green jasmine tea, look for high-quality products that are infused with real jasmine.
      By: Liv Friis-larsen
      When buying green jasmine tea, look for high-quality products that are infused with real jasmine.
    • If there is no tea shop in your area, it's possible to order green jasmine tea online.
      By: Igor Normann
      If there is no tea shop in your area, it's possible to order green jasmine tea online.
    • Green jasmine tea is harvested before being scented with jasmine.
      By: tracingtea
      Green jasmine tea is harvested before being scented with jasmine.