Tea Blog

Name: Jasmine With Flowers Green Tea

Brand: English Tea Store

Type: Green tea, scented

Form: Loose leaf

Review: This is a ridiculously inexpensive tea ($3.89 for four ounces as of November, 2011) and, for the price, brews up a respectable cup of jasmine green tea that should suit jasmine lovers well. The dry leaf itself is made up of dark, twisted leaves scattered with dried jasmine blossoms. The jasmine scent dominates, although it isn’t overpowering, even after steeping to a medium-bodied liquor.

In the cup, the tea is dominated by the sweet, floral jasmine, and I don’t taste that much green tea. The tea has some mild astringency which is not unpleasant: Brew this tea right and you’ll have a nice cup that makes for nice sipping as your afternoon winds down.

As its price suggests, this is not a “gourmet” tea, but rather a good workaday alternative to more expensive jasmine teas, such as the English Tea Store’s Jasmine Dragon Tears.  Still, it remains an economical alternative to expensive teas, without tasting cheap or artificial.

Preparation Suggestions: For the best results, use a light hand when preparing this tea. A teaspoon of leaf to eight ounces of 190F/87.7C water should do nicely. Check the tea after letting it steep for a minute: If it isn’t strong enough, let it continue steeping for another minute. A too-long steep, or too much leaf, can produce a tea with bitter notes that don’t work well with the jasmine flavor.

Serving Suggestions:  Many Chinese restaurants serve jasmine green tea with meals, and it can be quite refreshing when served with Chinese food.  The English Tea Store also recommends serving it with cucumber sandwiches, and I can see this tea going well with a traditional afternoon tea service of sandwiches, scones and sweets. Jasmine green teas are also great on ice, so don’t be afraid to experiment with this tea.

© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.