Blooming tea

Blooming tea, also referred to as Blossom or Flower tea is a hand-crafted tea, in which edible flowers are tied in a ball of high quality tea leaves. When brewed the blooming tea ball will slowly open, giving the appearance of a blossoming flower.

Artistic flowering tea balls are handmade in China, using green and white tea and real jasmine, chrysanthemum, and other flower varieties like globe amaranth, lily, carnation, acanthus, and marigold. Creation of flower tea balls is a highly specialized ancient art. The finished product is a tight roll of dried tea and flowers, sometimes round, sometimes resembling a mushroom. Shell life of unbrewed tea ball is up to three years.

When you drop your blooming tea ball in a glass cup or a glass teapot, cover the ball with boiling water. If you are using the mushroom shape flower tea and it is upside down, don’t worry. The ball will right itself in the water. As the ball steeps, the leaves will soften and in a few minutes mature to a blooming flower. Steep the ball for at least five and up to ten minutes if you’d prefer a stronger tea. After drinking the tea. you may rebrew the same tea ball again: once if you have used a teapot, and up to five times if you have brewed it in an individual cup. After that you may cover your bloom with cold water and display it for days.

Blooming or Blossom tea is a unique and memorable gift, which naturally contributes to improved health and wellness.

Medicinal benefits of tea have been confirmed in numerous studies and researches, and whether it be black, green, oolong, white or herbal tea, it has numeros health benefits. Tea health information reveals therapeutic properties for almost every type of health condition from arthritis, heart disease, cancer and liver disease to asthma, tooth decay, stress and weight control. The tea from Camellia sinensis plant (black, green, white, oolong tea all come from Camellia sinensis) provides beneficial effects and health benefits:

• Antibacterial effect.
• Anti-inflammatory effect.
• Contains fluoride and protects teeth.
• Reduces risk of heart disease.
• Controls blood pressure.
• Elevates good cholesterol (HDL).
• High levels of anti-oxidants fights free radicals.
• Increases bone density (green and especially white tea).
• Inhibits abnormal blood clot formation.
• Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL & triglycerides).
• Lowers rates of colon, esophageal and pancreatic cancer.
• Lowers the risk of heart-attack.
• Makes your skin healthy and young.

Blooming Tea is a health-boosting drink not only because of numerous health benefits of Tea from Camellia sinensis plant in general, but also because it is mostly made of White Tea.

White Tea is known to be world’s most healthy tea because it undergoes very little processing and no fermentation, but also because it contains considerably less caffeine. The amount of caffeine depends on the variety of tea leaf, on where it is grown, the particle size used, and the method and length of brewing or steeping. This is why the reported values of caffeine content in literature vary so much.

Caffeine levels of White Tea are about 15 mg per serving (per cup), compared to 40 mg in Black Tea, and 20 mg in Green Tea.

Caffeine and pregnancy

Mostly it is advised that pregnant women should not drink more than 2 cups of white or green tea daily. Again, even this advice is a general one, since quantity of caffeine varies with type of tea and strength of the brew. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you might be interested in the White tea and pregnancy article.

Did you know?

• Decaffeinated tea is not entirely caffeine-free.
• The longer the tea leaves have fermented, the greater their caffeine content will be.
• The smaller the tea leaf, the stronger the extraction of caffeine.
• Most of the caffeine is extracted in the first 30-40 seconds of steeping.
• You can make your own decaf tea.

Comparison on Caffeine amounts in Coffee, Cola and Teas

Coffee (5 oz. cup) … 80 mg
Cola (12 oz. can) … 45 mg
Black Tea (one tea bag) … 40 mg
Oolong Tea (one tea bag) … 30 mg
Green Tea (one tea bag) … 20 mg
White Tea (one tea bag) … 15 mg
Decaf Tea (one tea bag) … 2 mg
Herbal Tea (one tea bag) … 0 mg

Is Blooming Tea good for you? The answer is Certainly yes. Blooming tea is rich in anti-oxidants and brings numerous health benefits. Because it is made from green or white tea, it promotes health.

In China, Tea has been used for medicinal purposes since beginning of time. Flower tea, made from Silver Needle White is not only good for you but also one of the best teas there is. Silver Needle Tea, also named Silver Tip White Tea, is the most prized of all white teas, grown in the Fujian Province of China. This highest quality of this white tea is called Bai Hao Yin Zhen (White Hair Silver Needles) and is produced from large, unopened sun-dried tea buds, covered with white downy hair and carefully crafted into slender needles. Because Silver Needle Tea has always been treated as exceptional tea, it  was reserved for the Chinese imperial family until just a few decades ago. The most tender white downy tea buds are harvested only in the few days of early spring and this dedication to perfection is evident in the cup, where the tea forms a wonderful light aroma of nuts, distinct from all other white teas. The unique flavour of Silver Needle Tea is sweet, round and richly vegetative.

Silver Needle White Tea is proven to be low in caffeine and especially potent. It has three times as many antioxidant polyphenols as green or black tea and has been shown to be far more effective in neutralising free radicals. It proves to have the effects of anti-oxidation, anti-radiation, anti-cancer and lowering lipid. White tea also contains the lowest level of caffeine among all caffeinated tea or coffee drinks. A cup of white tea has the caffeine content an average of 8-15 milligrams of caffeine while a cup of coffee contains 60-120 milligrams.

What is the best way to brew Blooming or Flower tea so that we will surely receive all the benefits from it? Since this is a Display tea, you will want to use a large, see-through teapot. The view is most spectacular when you have the boiled, hot water inside the glass pot and let the tea ball drop to bottom of the pot and start its magic there. An even better option is to have a tea warmer set, under which you put a tea candle. The light from the candle will add a special note to the beautiful flower, opening inside your teapot.

It surely is a way to impress your friends or to make a ddinner in two a romantic, tranquil occasion. If you wish, you can use separate see-through for each guest and treat each one of them with a single tea balll. For this we would recommend big wine or martini glasses. Use one ball for 16 to 32 oz of water, depending on the desired strength of tea. Steep for 3-5 minutes and watch the bloom unfold. Do not stir the tea and just let it happen by itself. You can gently add hot water to the tea bloom over and over and resteep it, but do not reuse it for tea the next day. You can put the flower in the vase and it will delight you for another week or so.

Lady Fairy Flowering Tea blooms when steeped to reveal a beautiful golden lily with an arch of white jasmine flowers stretching above it. Flowers are sewn into a bed of Silver Needle White Tea and add delicate flavors to enhance your perfect tea experience. The tea is infused with real Jamine.The Lady Fairy teaposy blooming tea can brew up to 50oz of tea and can be displayed in cold water for up to a week.

Hand-crafted with:

• White jasmine flowers
• Golden lily blossom
• Single origin Silver Needle White Tea
• Naturally infused with real jasmine

Flavor Profile

• Light to medium-bodied with a light golden, color
• Smooth, slightly tangy flavor
• Deep, rich notes of lily and jasmine
• Sweet, long-lasting aftertaste

Lady fairy Flowering tea is available at I Fancy Food

The L’amour gift set provides a romantic way of expressing your feelings. Why give roses that wither, when you can reach into the heart of your loved one with a special flower that will bloom especially for him or her. This gift set includes a 16 oz handblown teapot with a removable glass loose tea infuser and provides a perfect way to observe your tea bloom. The L’amour gift set includes six Heart of Love Teaposies, of which each brews up to 50 oz of this delightful, aromatic tea.

L’amour gift set includes

• 16 oz Tea for Two teapot
• Loose-leaf tea filter
• Six Heart of Love Teaposies

L’amour gift set is available at I Fancy Food

This makes a gift most wonderful. Teaposy’s hand blown teapot holds 24 oz and comes with a stainless steel loose-leaf filter in the spout. The tea warmer will add the perfect touch and prolongue the tranquil tea experience. The gift pack includes Teapossy blossoms Butterfly, Calendula, Falling Water, Heart of Love, Lady Fairy and Noble Essence, which are all hand-sewn with the finest Silver Needle White tea and brew up to 50 oz.

The Dream Gift Set Includes:

• 24 oz Daydream teapot
• Light My Fire tea warmer
• A medley of six unique teaposies

To purchase this gift set, visit I Fancy Food

This Chinese art may be centuries old, but to many of us it is a completely new, even surprising experience and an outstanding treat for our guests. Here are a few tips on how to brew a perfect Blooming Tea.

To brew Blooming tea, use a large clear or see-through teapot, so that you will be able to enjoy the attractive display. Another option is using a big wine or martini glass and serving each Blooming tea individually. When enjoying Blooming tea you want the bloom open enough to display the treasure hidden inside, so small tea cups or mugs would be a waste. Simply place the bloom in the see-through teapot or glass and add hot water or throw the tea ball into the teapot already filled with hot water. Use one ball for 16-32 oz of water, depending on the desired strength of tea. Steep for 3-5 minutes and watch the bloom unfold. This is when the magic begins, but don’t stir it or force it in any way, just let it unfold by itself and reveal the beautiful flower within. You may leave the tea in the pot and even reuse it as a bouquet in a vase, filled with water and enjoy the beauty of it even longer.

Flowering or blooming teas are bundles of tea leaves, sewn together by hand in China. The rosettes contain buds or petals of flowers such as jasmine, lily, globe amaranth, chrysanthemum, osmanthus and hibiscus. As the tea steeps, the rosette will unfurl its leaves to reveal the beautiful flower inside.

Blooming tea adds another dimension to enjoying tea and all its numerous health benefits. Made from green or white tea, it has unique properties that promote health:

Antioxidants
A high concentration of antioxidants helps the body fight free radicals and prevent damage in cell membranes and DNA.

Strong bones
Green and especially white tea increase bone density.

Anticancer
By fighting free radicals white tea is a very powerful anticancer treatment. Furthermore, the flavonoids in the tea inhibit cancer cells growth and further reduce the risk.

Blood pressure
White and green tea help with high blood pressure by thinning the blood and reinforcing blood vessels.

Antibacterial
Green and white tea reinforces the immune system protecting us against all sorts of diseases from the common cold or flu to even ease some HIV symptoms.

Low cholesterol
Group of antioxidants, called catechins show to reduce cholesterol in the blood. Green and white tea are a particularly rich source of catechins since they are the least processed and oxidized.

Healthy skin
Antioxidants in green and white tea will help your skin look young and eliminate the dark spots.

Treating yourself, your friends and your family with blooming tea will bring about not only beautiful moments, spent together, but also a healthy way of life with a little hint of magic:

Blooming tea magic (video)