Jasmine tea originated in China. In the last few centuries, it has become popular worldwide. But what is Jasmine tea? And what does it taste like?
Jasmine tea is a flavor profile and not a specific type of tea. The taste and aroma of jasmine tea is faintly floral. Jasmine’s purpose is to add a faint hint of floral aroma, whereas the base tea will give off most of the flavor.
The Flavors of Jasmine Tea
There are a wide variety of jasmine teas. Most often, they are made with green tea, but they can also be made with white, black, or oolong teas.
The jasmine itself is mostly the aroma, though it does import a faint taste as well. The best way to describe the flavor of jasmine tea is a floral taste.
In fact, it is one tea where quality makes a huge difference. Cheaper teas often taste a lot like perfume and coat the tongue in an unpleasant way. This is due to the use of Jasmine oil instead of the flower itself.
High-quality and even medium-quality Jasmine teas have a delicate floral aroma and taste, and there is often a faint sweetness as well.
It can be hard to describe Jasmine tea as it is more of a flavor addition. The tea leaves that Jasmine is mixed into give most of your flavor. Jasmine is just to add a floral hint.
Is Jasmine Tea Healthy?
Jasmine tea itself doesn’t have any additional health benefits. However, the base tea that jasmine is mixed with are considered very healthy.
Tea is linked to many health benefits.
- They are full of antioxidants
- Better heart health
- Reduced risk of cancer
- Increased mental health
- Weight loss
- Increased brain function
- Increased oral health
Green tea is considered the healthiest tea overall, but all tea provides health benefits. Drinking Jasmine over regular tea does not change those benefits, so if you prefer Jasmine, go for it!
Does Jasmine Tea Contain Caffeine?
Except for most herbal teas, or ones specifically made with the caffeine removed, all teas contain caffeine. Jasmine flowers themselves provide no additional caffeine. So it is based upon the base tea being used.
- Black tea has roughly 40 to 70mg
- Oolong is between 37 to 55mg
- Green tea has 35 to 45mg
- White tea has 15 to 30mg
In comparison, a cup of coffee has 95-200mg. So if you want something to try and replace your cup of joe, go for a black tea. Otherwise, for lower caffeine content, look towards green, white, or herbal.
What Exactly Makes Tea Jasmine?
Since jasmine is used as an added smell and taste, any tea base can be used. What classifies a tea as Jasmine. However, it is the use of Jasmine flowers during the drying process.
It can be a time-consuming process, as it requires removing the Jasmine flower heads before sending it out for consumers. The flower heads are removed to prevent the floral taste from being too strong.
It is the presence of these flower heads during the leaf-drying process that marks teas as Jasmine.
What is the best way to brew jasmine tea?
Every tea has a different preparation to bring out the most flavor. If you’re anything like me, you just boil water and let the tea steep until you remember it is there.
However, if you do want to make Jasmine tea properly, there are a few steps that will bring out its best feature.
- Heat water up to 175 degrees Fahrenheit
- Generally, heat up enough water to fill up your teacup twice
- Fill your teacup up once and let sit for a minute to warm up your cup
- Toss water
- Add tea to cup and full up with remaining water
- Steep for 3 minutes
- Remove tea and enjoy
Conclusion:
Teas are a great drink to have. They are full of many different health benefits. Jasmine tea has no specific health benefits on its own, but the leaves that absorb the Jasmine flavoring have many benefits. If you enjoy floral teas that aren’t too strong, Jasmine tea is perfect for you.
