Flowering tea: Everything you need to know

The best flowering teas combine a spectacular blooming flower with great taste. That taste varies according to the flower used and there is a flowering tea to suit every palate. For example, our Flowering Jasmine & Lily is floral, honeyed and enticing, whereas Flowering Jasmine Arch is sweet, fragrant and charming. We describe our Flowering Dragon Eye as light, floral and mesmerising, while Flowering Osmanthus is sweet, soothing and captivating.

Where did flowering tea originate?

Flowering tea  in its present form is a relatively recent tea discovery. It is believed to have emerged in China towards the end of the last century. Flower teas grew in popularity in western countries around the turn of the millennium. However, the broader idea of bundled tea leaves is understood to be much older – some say it has been around for hundreds of years. The traditional Chinese tea growing provinces of Yunnan and Fujian are often associated with the development of flowering tea.

Green tea leaves are carefully handwoven around dried flowers to create a tea ball

Why is flowering tea a work of art?

Flowering tea is a mesmerising experience for the eyes and the taste buds. Like all works of art, flowering tea needs to be displayed properly. Glass teaware is the obvious choice. We craft ours using high quality borosilicate glass to capture the show in full. With the right teaware in place, all you have to do is sit back and watch your tea reveal itself – just like a work of art.

As well as the visual display of flowering tea, there is something to be admired in its creation. For our flowering teas, leaves are hand-tied with beautiful natural flowers by skilled artisans. Those leaves have also been carefully cultivated and processed by a tea master working in harmony with nature at a single origin.

Flowering tea benefits for mind and body

 All of JING’s flowering teas are expert blends of spring fresh green tea from Fujian province with traditional Chinese tea flowers. Flowering Jasmine & Lily combines this sappy tea with sweet jasmine blossoms and soft lily petal musk. Flowering Dragon Eye mixes it with fragrant jasmine, amaranth and marigold blossoms. Flowering Osmanthus is blended with peach-sweet osmanthus flowers and bright orange lily petals. Flowering Jasmine Arch features an arch of sweet and enchanting jasmine blossoms. You can read about the health benefits of drinking green tea here.

We also believe there is a deeper value in taking time out to prepare quality loose tea properly, especially in a time when opportunities to pause are becoming so rare. Around the world, ancient cultures have recognised the mental benefits of drinking tea for millennia. Tea has been a part of meditation rituals across the globe and we too are convinced that setting aside some time each day to drink a range of teas should have a positive effect. And if you choose a flowering tea, of course, you get some added visual delight.