Ever since I discovered them eight years ago, flowering teas have spiked my interest and never failed to fascinate me. At first, I was surprised to find small bundles of leaves, wrapped around a flower. When I asked a retailer to explain further this process, he told me it originates from Asian countries.

Even though it’s not the most exquisite tea I tested, it’s definitely the unique one. The flowers inside are food-safe and edible.

However, not all flowering teas contain actual flowers and the term also refers to the opening of the leaves during the infusion. So, let’s see, how can you prepare them.

Flavor

The majority of flowering teas have a quite neutral or even slightly vegetable taste. Considering that the shaping process changes the taste, they are sometimes scented with jasmine flowers. Some of them can also be flavored to compensate for the lack of flavor in the tea leaves.

However, the flowers placed inside don’t contribute much to this tea but serve as a decoration. On the other hand, stronger scented herbs such as jasmine, chrysanthemum, or rose can be states slightly in some cases.

History

Simple types of shaped and flowering teas have been made and manufactured in China for centuries. However, the trendier style of hand-tied tea was developed in China during the 1980s. In recent years, this beverage has become popular across American and Europe.

Now, they are even made in several provinces in China, such as Fujian, Anhui, and Yunnan.

How to brew this tea?

Flowering teas focus more on appearance, rather than taste. In this case, the glass brewing vessel is the best option. You can use plastic, but I suggest glass. If you don’t have a glass teapot, then wine glass can serve you as a pitcher.

Although most of the green and white teas taste best when they are submerged into the water below boiling, that’s not the case with flowering teas. They need boiling water to release flavor and to bloom. Additionally, you can steep them for 20 minutes, without getting bitter.Since it involves flexible preparation, it’s an excellent choice for serving at gatherings.

Related Articles to Foodplay Recipes

5/5 - (1 vote)

Foodplayer Linda

I am sure you love food. Otherwise, you won’t be here. As a full-time and a part-time chef at a local restaurant, I know my way around food. Ever since I was a young girl, I enjoyed helping my mom in the kitchen.

We would often experiment with the spices, ingredients, and flavors and create great meals for my brothers and dad. Since cocking was my first passion, I decided to go in that direction. I finished culinary school, got my first job, and started developing my skills.

Later when kids came, I had all the liberty in the kitchen to combine some of the unique flavors. A lot of them were a success, but now and there I would make a couple of mistakes.