Flowering tea, also called blooming tea, is topping the popularity charts as the most preferred party drink. It has beaten flavored drinks, coffee and champagne. Flowering tea is beautiful, fragrant, delicious and healthy. It sort of has it all. Different varieties of this tea use white tea or black tea, but it is the green tea which is most widely used. The usual faint green tea taste is pleasantly blended with floral undertones to create delectable flavors.
This tea is a Chinese specialty, honed by skilled Chinese artisans over centuries. Tender tea leaves are picked early in the morning while they are still dew covered. The leaves are flattened and dried. They are gently roasted or steamed to stop fermentation. It is this absence of fermentation which imparts the final product a fresh natural taste. Now comes the artistic step of binding tea leaves with flowers or flower petals. Rose, jasmine, hibiscus, chrysanthemum, amaranth, calendula, lily are the flowers generally used to create flower teas. These flowers are tied within the tea leaves and sewn into small bundles. Sewing the tea and flowers requires deft skill. Usually a cotton thread is used to integrate tea leaves and flowers into various shapes like balls, mushrooms, hearts, peaches, and cones.
This tea is a perfect decoration for a special celebration. It is its brewing process which holds all the charm. A glass teapot is an indispensable companion for this tea. For a dream evening, put a flower tea ball into a transparent glass teapot and place it on the center table of the room. You can further accentuate the effect by spreading a beautiful, floral tablecloth. You may even match it with soft background music. Keep warm water ready in a separate pot. When you wish to serve tea to your guests, pour warm water into the glass teapot. The beauty begins to unfold and unfurl in a gentle graceful motion. Slowly, the flower ball blooms into a fascinating pattern of flowers and leaves right in front of your guests. You can be assured of spellbinding enchantment.
Along with exceptional beauty and rare charm, this tea also has unique taste. Sweet floral essence and taste seeps into the naturally sweet green tea to create a palatable drink. The infusion also absorbs the fragrance of flowers and results in an aromatic beverage. The aroma fills in the entire room, and you can enjoy the scent of flowers as you savor the delicious liquor.
While you revel in the romantic charm of this beautiful drink, you would perhaps not even register the immense nutrition that you are consuming with its every sip. Green tea is an established health drink known to help weight loss, promote better metabolism, strengthen immune system, stabilize blood glucose levels and thus control diabetes. Green tea is also effective in controlling cholesterol levels and prevents cardiovascular complications. Its antioxidants neutralize free radicals in the body and delay the onset of aging. It keeps skin soft and supple and checks the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. Flowers further boost its nutritional content with minerals and essential oils.
So you have happily sipped onto a health supplement without even knowing it, and without making the effort of forcing down a bland flavorless liquid. Now you know that flowering tea actually blooms beauty and health both. Sure you would not like to miss out on this amazing drink, and check out your nearest tea store for a flower tea variety straightaway.
