Tea-drinking shouldn’t just be a hobby, but an experience. Rituals like the world-famous Japanese tea ceremony prove that tea-drinking can be elevated to an art form.
If you’ve set aside time to have a little tea party or tea appreciation session with your friends and family, a pot of blooming tea (also called flowering tea) will ensure they’re suitably impressed.
How It Works
Tea has been around for thousands of years, but blooming tea is a relatively new concept. It first appeared in China in the 1990’s and has been steadily gaining popularity since then.
To make blooming tea, a bunch of flowers are wrapped together using dried tea leaves to form a tight bundle, or “bulb”. The most commonly used flowers are hibiscus, jasmine and chrysanthemum.
When hot or boiling water (depending on the type of tea) is poured over the bundle, the tea leaves absorb the water and start to expand. As they unfurl, they slowly reveal the beautiful flowers inside.
The whole process only takes on average between 2 to 5 minutes for the flowers to bloom. You then mix the water to get an even flavor before serving. Here is a quick Youtube video showing the flowers blooming:
Getting The Most Out Of Your Blooming Tea
Obviously, to really enjoy your tea experience, you’ll need a clear teapot. I recommend using a large teapot with a wide base as this gives the tea leaves sufficient room to expand and really heightens the drama of the whole experience.
Drinking blooming tea is not just an aesthetic experience, but also a gastronomic one. The wonderful floral aromas can really tantalize your taste buds.
Remember not to throw the bulb away after the first pot of tea as most bulbs can yield up to 3 or 4 pots of tea before they lose their flavor completely. Typically, the first pot of tea gives the strongest aromas and the second gives the strongest flavor.
Where to Buy Blooming Tea
Blooming tea can be bought from many online retailers including Amazon. Tea Posy is an online store specializing in this type tea, so for the greatest variety and quality, you ought to look there. They’ve also got some exquisite glassware to add to the experience.
In our busy working lives, it’s all too easy to see tea-drinking as just another part of the daily grind. Take some time out of your schedule to drink some blooming tea and appreciate the wonders of this centuries-old beverage. You’ll find yourself revitalized by the experience!
