Blossoming Tea - How it's made

Blossoming tea is relativley new in the world of tea. It brings a diffferent aspect to the great skills of the tea grower, not only does the tea taste exceptional but it also has a visual beauty that makes it a small ceremony in it's own right.

 The tea leaves originate from an evergreen of the Camellia family that is native to China, Tibet and northern India. There are two main varieties of the tea plant. The small leaf variety, known as Camellia sinensis, thrives in the cool, high mountain regions of central China and Japan.This variety is used for Blossoming Tea. The broad leaf variety, known as Camellia assamica, grows best in the moist, tropical climates found in Northeast India and the Szechuan and Yunnan provinces of China. The plant produces dark green, shiny leaves and small, white blossoms

The tea buds are picked young in early spring before they open. They have white downy hairs along their backs which gives the tea its name. The leaves are then sorted, only the finest whole leaves making the grade. They are now ready for tying.

The flowers are also picked young and fresh so the flavours are delicate and the shapes small and perfectly formed. The leaves and flowers are then tied together by tea artists that pride themselves on their exceptional skill.

Some varieties are gently infused with jasmine flowers for many hours to enhance the jasmine aroma of the tea. This is very evident in the Little Princess variety. The tea buds are then very slowly dried and packed until they are awoken once more in your pot.