Scented tea is a complex natural flavouring system of fragrance and flower, green or hip deep meat sweet taste alliance. This process has been aged over centuries, specifically the case of China where fragrant teas like jasmine and osmanthus are historic marvels. Masterful skill, finesse in the art of scented tea is combined to ensure that every leaf brings only taste and fragrance.
Creating scented tea requires harvesting fresh flowers, generally at the peak of their blossoms either early in the morning when they are richest in aromatic oils. For instance jasmine flowers are plucked in the day and kept until evening when they bloom on their own releasing its fragrance. The evening is the optimal time for harvesting jasmine, as this tropical plant gives off a full aroma in the dark hours - thereby ensuring that during exposure to night flower scent to give maximum peppering of green tea leaves.
Flavoring is often achieved by alternating several layers of black tea leaves with fresh flowers. The more layers there are, the stronger the scent will eventually be; a process that is sometimes referred to as "heaping". The scenting cycle can be broken into 1 -3 cycles, lasting hours typically between 4 to eight hour per entire-the-cycle. For the highest quality Jasmine Teas, this scenting process may be repeated as many as seven times to make for a full-bodied brew that is both complex and enduring in terms of aroma.
The scenting process requires strict temperature and humidity control. The optimal temperature, generally around 30°C (86°F), and humidity-controlled environments to prevent mold development surrounding production are essential for the extraction of oils as always through flowers releasing their natural oil. After scenting, the tea is then gently dried to remove excess moisture which helps "fix" or stabilize the flavors and enables shelf life from 6 months up to 24+ months depending on how it is stored.
The types of base tea used in scented teas plant a dominant characteristic on the flavor profile. The mellow taste of the green tea makes it one favorite base for jasmine tea that goes well with the floral notes. That said, black and oolong teas are also employed with various other types of scented tea due their deeper body which can respond to heavier aromas like rose or lychee.
The scented tea industry plays a major role in the world market of the economic value; meantime, it also belongs to an important part of China's export commodities - as they accounted for 28% ($2.1 billion USD ) share in their total tea exports by commodity group(-supply chain) (2022). Consumer demand for specialty teas that deliver on taste and health benefits is keeping this category of the market in steady growth.
The practice of brewing scented tea also has a cultural interpretation. In regions such as Fujian, where jasmine tea is manufactured, the local festivals and competitions mark the time of year when Jasmine flowers are in bloom, resting on bamboo mats after harvest to cool overnight. These tours draw tourists and tea connoisseurs, promoting economic growth and education about traditional methods of processing the leaf.
As the famous tea expert Yu Lu known by this name is, and one of the major promoters of Chinese tea culture said: Scented-tea, ''is an art with nature fragrance''. And it speaks to the fine line between making scented tea and how much care goes into each sip you drink, every petal harvested in tribute.