A Little History on Blooming Tea
I have been gardening for five years and have a genuine passion for flowers, plants and herbs. I have always had a successful herb garden. I was recently reading through one of my herbal encyclopedia books on the topic of herbal preparations and stumbled onto something new. I’ve been a passionate herbal tea drinker for years and was pleasantly surprised to discover in my book that a different kind of tea exists, called “flowering tea,” “blooming tea” or “blossoming tea.”
Since I love both herbal tea and flowers, this tea seemed perfect for me, so I decided to do my own research. Although preparing tea is an ancient work of art, flowering tea was recently developed. It first was created in China in the 1980s. Blossoming teas consists of carefully hand-sewn quality tea leaves and special flowers, tied together with cotton thread into different floral arrangements. It was originally known as display tea, because the tea has a unique decorative purpose. A flowering tea transforms into a beautiful floral display once it has steeped in boiling water inside a glass teapot or glass mug.
Flowering tea is usually prepared in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, close to the borders of Vietnam and Laos. Flowers most frequently utilized in blooming tea include chrysanthemum, jasmine, rose, magnolia, lily, hibiscus, osmanthus, carnation, peony and globe amaranth.
Flowering tea has increased in popularity in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia over the last decade. More tea drinkers are being drawn to the interesting, enchanting alternative that blooming tea offers. It is relaxing and amusing to watch the tea flowers blossom while being steeped in hot water. The tea should ideally be placed in a lovely clear glass teapot or glass mugs so that the tea drinkers can admire the floral creation as they enjoy their special cups of tea. Enthusiasts claim that it is quite a magical experience to observe the tea leaves gradually expanding and the delicately flowers being unraveled in the cups.
In most western cultures, the utilization of flowers and other botanicals for a base for tea has only become popular in the last ten to fifteen years, although people in Asia have been drinking flower-based tea for a long period of time. The hot and humid climate in Asian countries create an ideal environmental for growing a wide variety of plants, flowering vines and flowers, such as orchids, chrysanthemums and lilies.
In Asian traditions, flowers are vitally important. Flowering tea is enjoyed as a daily beverage but also regularly incorporated into religious rituals. Japanese and Chinese cultures still maintain the value of frequent tea ceremonies.
People in Western cultures are beginning to understand a principle that people in Eastern cultures have believed all along – that flowers and herbs hold healing properties for physical, emotional and mental ailments. Flowering teas have been known to help people relieve stress, especially when drunk regularly over a period of time. Some flowers have been shown to minimize levels of damage caused by free radicals, helping to slow down the aging process.
Adventurous tea drinkers will be happy to discover that there are dozens and dozens of different flower and herbal combinations to experiment with, each blend creating a special aroma and flavor. Curious people are advised to read through books and websites that describe the history of flowering tea and all of its holistic benefits.
Check out Amazon. They carry a large amount of flowering tea products, perfect for any tea lovers.