What is Jasmine Pearl tea?
A high-quality Chinese jasmine green tea usually takes the shape of jasmine-scented hand-rolled ‘pearls,’ each consisting of two young leaves and an unopened bud. These pearls unfurl in your cup, releasing the combined aromas of green tea and sweet jasmine. The tea leaves have characteristic silver tips and are picked when young for a soft, subtle flavor. Jasmine pearl tea is a traditional Chinese staple. Loose leaf, unrolled type of jasmine green tea, is also available; it should not be considered inferior in any way.
The history of the Dragon Pearl Tea
As per Chinese mythology, a young girl from a village near Fuzhou, Fujian Province, sought the help of a mystical dragon in curing her seriously ailing brother. The dragon is believed to have soared high up into the sky and developed a beautiful pearl on his chest. A droplet of water fell from this pearl and gave rise to a tea bush. The girl tended to this miraculous bush, picked its leaves, dried them with jasmine flowers, and shaped them into ‘dragon pearls.’ Tea brewed from these pearls cured her brother and originated the tradition of drinking Jasmine green tea throughout the region.
How is Jasmine Pearl tea made?
Traditionally, real jasmine blossoms are added to quality Chinese green tea while tea leaves are still drying and easily absorb natural flowers’ flavor. After a few hours, the jasmine flowers are removed and replaced with fresh ones. The process might be repeated up to 7 times. Then, the tea leaves are rolled into tiny balls, preserving the scents inside. The process is laborious and time-consuming, but the result is definitely worth it. Delicate jasmine flowers do not possess the strength of flavored teas. The idea is that the floral component should not dominate but rather subtly complement the vegetal green tea flavor in your cup.
What does Jasmine green tea taste like? 
Chinese Jasmine green tea makes a pale yellow infusion, balancing a strong, bold aroma with a crisp jasmine scent. “Sweet and floral tasting, with no bitterness,” this tea easily makes its way to the average green tea drinker’s favorites list. It has a lingering aftertaste and leaves you with “the presence of jasmine in the back of the throat.” The subtle, sweet floral tones make this a “delightful summer tea,” refreshing, sweet, tremendously fragrant.
Tea tips
Authentic Jasmine green tea will have a flowery taste, in addition to its floral smell. Lower quality commercially scented floral teas may be flavored with various essential oils, natural and artificial flavorings. The real thing will always be more subtle and delicate.
If you are a fan of Jasmine green tea, try other floral brews like lavender, cherry blossom, rose teas.
How to make jasmine tea
Start with purchasing high-quality tea that is scented with real jasmine blossoms. The scenting process itself is a complex exercise – you’ll usually find the best results in teas from the Fujian province. While steeping the tea, use pure (filtered) water at a temperature of about 176°F. Take just under 1 teaspoon of tea leaves for a single cup of jasmine green tea, and steep it for less than 2 minutes. These precautions will prevent the tea from getting bitter. Depending on your taste, you can try making a few more infusions, allowing the tea to steep for anywhere between 30 seconds and 1 minute at a time. Avoid adding sugar or honey to your jasmine green tea, and enjoy its natural and nuanced sweetness instead.
Where to buy the best Jasmine Pearl green tea online?
We feature only the best tea brands and earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
 |
Jasmine Pearls Tea Fruity, round, sweet. Aromatic organic jasmine blossoms are used for scenting the most tender organic green tea leaves and buds then hand-rolled into small pearls to create this organic jasmine pearl tea. This restorative tea is exquisite in flavor and aroma and yields a clear, light green hue with a delicate finish. |
|
 |
Jasmine Reserve Tea Creamy, spice, sweet. An organic green tea that has been repeatedly baked and scented with fresh and fragrant night-blooming jasmine blossoms. This jasmine green tea has beautiful floral and sweet notes. |
|
 |
Hubei Jasmine Green Tea A tea featuring light, fragrant jasmine flowers. Jasmine flower tea is one of the most enjoyable, healthy herbal teas available to us today. It's aromatic flavor is distinct and highly enjoyed by many. The therapeutic advantages of jasmine tea help calm the mind, while increasing energy and metabolism. |
|
 |
Jasmine Mao Feng Green Tea Smooth and refreshing taste with floral jasmine note. Just like our Bi Tan Piao Xue Jasmine Green Tea, this tea uses a traditional scenting process to combine the Mao Feng green tea leaves from Sichuan with Hengxian jasmine, bringing out the freshness of the tea and the aroma of the flowers. In contrast to the final Ti Hua process used with other jasmine teas, this one uses a unique Chao Hua pan-frying step after the final scenting process. This is to better mix and fry the scented tea with the flowers in proportion, both increasing the aroma and sharpening the appearance of the finished product.When brewed, this tea is sweet and rich; it is a good daily drink choice for tea lovers who prefer strong, long-enduring teas. |
|
 |
Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea Peach fruity, slight jasmine aroma. This Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl green tea is made with the same methods as the regular jasmine pearls, where it is rolled into small, pearl-shape balls, and dried. However, while drying, these pearls are mixed with natural peach extractives, giving it its special fruity flavor. The scenting of the tea leaves with jasmine flowers lasts as long as five hours, and the step is repeated for up to seven times in a row; though the crafting process is complicated, the brewing of this tea is a pleasant experience.Brewing will coax the sweet peachy aroma out of the tea leaves as well as infuse it into the liquid, becoming thinner after several steeps and giving way to the more floral taste of the jasmine. |
|
 |
Organic Jasmine Pearls Organic Dragon Phoenix Pearls - Organic Green Tea. If you like Jasmine Tea you have to try our Organic Jasmine Pearls green tea. We start with fine Chinese Dragon Phoenix Pearls green tea and take it to a new level by adding fresh Jasmine flowers for fragrance and added flavor to create California Tea House's very own Organic Jasmine Pearls loose leaf green tea.Our Chinese Dragon Pearls is made from hand picked single buds from the 'Fuding Dahao' tea plant variety. The buds are then refined by hand into tiny 'pearls'. It is a very refreshing green tea and even more so with our added Jasmine tea punch. Buy Organic Jasmine Pearls green tea with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.Use 6-8 pearls of Jasmine Pearls per cup of water after falling from a full boil, about 180o F. Steep the pearls from 2 to 3 minutes and enjoy a pick-up in your step! |
|
 |
Jasmine Flowers Jasmine Flowers, which are also called Jasminum odoratissimum, Sweet Yellow Jasmine and sweet-scented yellow Jasmine, are very popular herbs due to their aromatic and aphrodisiac properties. Jasmine Flowers are commonly used to scent Jasmine tea, and many types of Jasmine Flowers can be used to produce perfumes and incense. |
More tea, please!
5 Rich Ceylon Black Teas For a Perfect Wake-up Brew
Top 10 Wholesome Herbal Teas, Caffeine Free By Nature
5 Majestic Formosa Oolongs from the Mountains of Taiwan
Isabelle is a freelance writer, self-taught tea nerd, and tea blending enthusiast. She is a herbalist with a strong interest in Ayurveda. Each year Isabelle travels extensively, returning with tea samples from around the world. She is a big fan of handmade teaware and Japanese green teas.