Flower Blooming Art Tea

Art Tea. Blooming Tea. Flower Tea. Those are some of the names used for a category of tea that is the dried tea leaves and flowers which are hand-tied into balls the size of a large marble. The other day I had a chance to sit down and really enjoy the latest edition of "TeaTime Magazine" and sip some Flower Tea. I have a been a faithful reader of this Hoffman Media Publication since their very first issue. The magazine is always filled with delightful teascapes, recipes for tea party foods, and interesting tearooms around the Country.
"TeaTime Magazine" is also celebrating National Hot Tea Month during January...you can visit their Facebook HERE and find a lot of great tea ideas!
The Flower Tea I steeped in a glass pot is 'Jasmine Fairy Maidens,' available at Harney Tea. This tea is sweetly flavored with jasmine flowers and has a vegetal flavor. It is a very light tasting tea. The water for this tea should be heated to 180 degrees and the tea ball steeped for 3-5 minutes. When steeped, the green tea leaves gradually blossom revealing a cluster of orange flowers perched atop a sphere of tea, while the jasmine petals blossom upwards. This tea may be infused 3 or more times.
The tea leaves and flowers are shaped into a ball, the size of a large marble...
Flower teas make great centerpieces or may be presented in a goblet.
A buttermilk scone and my homemade strawberry preserves pair well with the very light tea.

Remember that there are many health benefits of tea...it helps to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, aids in digestion and weight loss, and of course the caffeine gives you a boost of energy...a pick-me-up in the afternoon!

Practice hospitality...serve someone tea!