What is jasmine tea?

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What is jasmine tea?

What’s that heavenly smell rising from the teacup? It must be jasmine.

Jasmine tea is a popular Chinese scented tea, typically made with tea leaves similar to green tea as a base and scented with jasmine blossoms.

Jasmine tea is a favorite traditional choice accompanying meals at dim sum establishments, but you can also catch a whiff of the sweet scented flower in candles and body products, similar to Earl Grey [1].

If I could make this blog a scratch-and-sniff experience, trust me I would. But for now you’ll have to settle for a dose of healthy Jasmine tea facts instead.

What does jasmine tea taste like?

Jasmine tea’s flavor is very floral, fragrant, and sweet. Those who enjoy the soothing aroma and flavor of lavender in tea will likely also like jasmine. In fact, both jasmine and lavender have proven sedative effects that can lower heart rate due to a shared odor component [2].

Where is jasmine tea from?

Jasmine tea’s history goes waaaay back. Like well over a thousand years back.

The aromatic, blossoming jasmine plant grows in mountainous terrain at high elevations. It’s thought that it originally arrived in China from Southeast Asia through means of India during the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) [6]. It wasn’t until the fifth century when jasmine started being used to scent tea. Fast-forward to the Qing Dynasty (1644 AD to 1912 AD), and jasmine tea gained a global foothold through large-scale exports to the West.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) mentions Fuzhou, the capital of the Fujian province, as the most important city for jasmine tea production in China [3]. And it’s no surprise, given Fujian’s other agricultural strengths. This region has been the center of Chinese tea cultivation since the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), so the abundance of jasmine plants meant a natural match made in heaven: jasmine + tea.

Today, Fujian’s jasmine tea maintains the best reputation, although other Chinese provinces, as well as Vietnam and Japan are also known for their jasmine tea production [6].

How is jasmine tea made?

Jasmine tea is made with tea leaves from the camellia sinensis plant and jasmine blossoms, which are collected in the morning while still closed [4].

The process begins by slightly oxidizing the tea leaf, resulting in what’s called zao bei (tea ready) [5]. Although zao bei closely resembles green tea, it is technically it’s own category used as a tea base for scented teas. This form allows the tea leaf to better absorb the flower’s aroma and counterpoints the jasmine’s sweetness. By combining jasmine instead with fully processed green or oolong tea, for example, you’ll end up with a tea that has a shorter shelf life and less flavor.

Two ways to scent tea

One way to scent jasmine tea is by layering jasmine blossoms and tea leaves [4]. The other method involves placing flower petals next to the tea leaves for four hours at a time. Standard quality jasmine tea goes through the scenting process one to two times, although it can be as high as seven times with high quality variations.

Tea leaves have a tendency to absorb odors around them (which is why tea leaves make a great stink magnet in the fridge). Even so, the scenting process can take up to a month for top grade teas.

After, jasmine tea is re-fired to remove any unwanted moisture [4].

Non-authentic jasmine tea

A newer version of tea that involves jasmine scent has entered the market as a cheaper, lower quality alternative to true jasmine tea [5]. It involves spraying processed tea sourced from multiple countries, such as green or oolong, with other flower essences or artificial flavoring. Technically, this is a jasmine green tea, not jasmine tea, because its base is not zao bei.

Jasmine tea health benefits

If you’re interested in whether jasmine tea is good for you, you’re in luck!

Although jasmine tea has been drunk for hundreds of years, only recently has modern science allowed us to better understand its uses and impact on our bodies. It boasts many of the same celebrated health benefits of green tea and contains no calories [7].

Jasmine tea’s benefits may include [6]:

Cancer prevention and antioxidants
Lowers blood pressure
Cholesterol reduction
Boosts immune system
Speeds up metabolism
Slows heart rate, relaxes, and decreases depression [6]

Additionally, jasmine tea is good for those with type 1 and 2 diabetes. The catechins can keep fasting blood insulin levels steady and slow down the metabolism of sugar content in starches [6].

Jasmine tea is also believed to contribute to a longer, healthier life. One example of this at play is Okinawa, Japan, which has historically had one of the highest life expectancies worldwide (although this ranking has dropped in recent years due to more adoption of westernized diets) [8]. A part of the traditional Okinawan diet is jasmine tea, especially among centurions, or those over 100 years of age [7]. In fact, a study with fruit flies found that they lived 20% longer when jasmine tea was added to their drinking water.

Potential side effects

Scientific studies have not shown clear side effects from drinking too much Jasmine tea. However, as with all caffeinated beverages, you may want to limit your consumption to avoid some of the adverse effects like headaches, anxiety, and nervousness.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends consuming no more than 400 mg of caffeine daily, or about 10 cups of green or black tea [9].

Does Jasmine tea have caffeine?

When made with teas from the camellia sinensis plant, such as green, white, or black tea, jasmine tea does contain caffeine.

The exact caffeine content will always vary with steep time, brand, amount of tea leaves, water temperature, and so on. However, a general rule of thumb is that a cup of tea will have half as much caffeine as coffee. Jasmine tea made with green teas also tends to have lower caffeine than white, black, or oolong [10].

How to drink your jasmine tea

To make jasmine tea, brew water to a temperature of around 160-180 F (70-80 F) [6]. If too hot, your tea may become bitter and astringent. Before taking out your science lab equipment to measure the temperature, you can just let your boiling water sit for a minute to slightly cool.

Your tea’s packaging will typically have instructions on how long (30 seconds to 3 minutes typically) and how much (1 teaspoon per mug) to steep.

Jasmine tea is traditionally enjoyed as is (no milk or sugar), although jasmine milk teas have become popular at boba shops and as ready-to-drink bottled options.

The tea experts at Twinings recommend pairing jasmine tea with spicy food, spiced white meat, shellfish, vegetables, potato, tarte tartin and carrot cake [11].

[1] Perry, Sarah. “Pu-Erh: The Perfect Tea for Dim Sum?” Chowhound, Chowhound, 25 Apr. 2012, www.chowhound.com/food-news/113341/pu-erh-the-perfect-tea-for-dim-sum/.
[2] Kuroda, Kyoko, et al. “Sedative Effects of the Jasmine Tea Odor and (R)-(−)-Linalool, One of Its Major Odor Components, on Autonomic Nerve Activity and Mood States.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 95, no. 2-3, 2005, pp. 107–114., doi:10.1007/s00421-005-1402-8.
[3] “Fuzhou Jasmine and Tea System.” Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, www.fao.org/giahs/giahsaroundtheworld/designated-sites/asia-and-the-pacific/fuzhou-jasmine-and-tea-culture-system/detailed-information/en/.
[4] Hall, Nick. “Value Added Tea.” The Tea Industry, 2000, pp. 4–44., doi:10.1016/b978-1-85573-373-2.50009-1.
[5] Heiss, Mary Lou, and Heiss, Robert J.. The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide. United States, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 2011.
[6] Santos. Healing with Tea: Guidebook and Easy Recipe Tea Ebook: The History and Healing Benefits of Tea. 2019.
[7] Willcox, Bradley J., et al. The Okinawa Program: How the World's Longest-lived People Achieve Everlasting Health--and how You Can Too. United States, Three Rivers Press, 2002.
[8] Onishi, Norimitsu. “Love of U.S. Food Shortening Okinawans' Lives / Life Expectancy among Islands' Young Men Takes a Big Dive.” SFGATE, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 July 2018, www.sfgate.com/health/article/Love-of-U-S-food-shortening-Okinawans-lives-2397590.php.
[9] “Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, 12 Dec. 2018, www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much.
[10] Komes, Drazenka, et al. “Determination of Caffeine Content in Tea and Maté Tea by Using Different Methods.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences, Jan. 2009, doi:10.17221/cjfs.
[11] “Food Pairing with... Tea!” Twinings UK & Ireland, www.twinings.co.uk/our-communi-tea/latest-news-and-articles/food-pairing-with-tea.

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about the author

Hello, is it tea you’re looking for? Raquel is an Arizona-based tea drinker who writes about tea as a side hobby. Her current favorites are Earl Grey with a splash of milk and any Japanese green tea.