Exploring China’s Tea Regions: Sourcing Our Jasmine Pearls
The joy of steeping our Jasmine Pearls Tea is something every tea drinker should experience. From the way these tightly-rolled pearls unfurl as hot water is poured over them to the delightful floral fragrance that fills the air as they steep, each step of this process is a treat for the senses. The tea’s flavor is clean and smooth, even after multiple infusions.
Yet the process of making this premium tea truly starts long before the pearls are added to the cup. The journey begins on the other side of the globe, in China’s Fujian Province. Keep reading to learn where and how our Jasmine Pearls are grown, harvested and processed.
Jasmine Pearls from Fuding, China
The Republic of Tea sources our best-selling Jasmine Pearls from the city of Fuding, an important tea export base in China’s Fujian Province.
Fuding is surrounded by highlands and rolling hills, creating various microclimates that are ideal for growing premium tea leaves with concentrated flavors. Tea has been cultivated in Fuding since at least the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 CE).
As a whole, Fujian is one of China’s largest producers of tea, and many well-known Chinese teas originate in this province. The region even has its own artful method of preparing and serving tea, known as the gongfu tea ceremony.
The process of making our Jasmine Pearls tea begins with harvesting young tea leaves in early springtime. The choicest tippy leaf and bud sets are selected from the harvest, then individually hand-rolled into round “pearls” and carefully dried.
Finally, the pearls are scented multiple times with fresh jasmine blossoms. This scenting process is painstaking but imparts the perfect amount of fresh, high-quality floral flavor.
Jasmine tea is the most prized variety of scented tea in China, and jasmine tea produced in Fujian is especially highly regarded. In some regions — including the Fujian Province — offering a cup of jasmine tea to guests is considered to be a sign of hospitality.
Steeping Jasmine Pearls
Our Jasmine Pearls have traveled a long way to arrive in your cup. We recommend making the most of your steeping and sipping experience by engaging each of your senses as you prepare this flavorful infusion: listen to the sound of water being poured, feel the warmth of the cup in your hands, watch the tightly-rolled pearls unfurl in the hot water, breathe in the floral steam wafting from your cup, and finally, taste the sweet jasmine-flavored liquid.
When steeping Jasmine Pearls Tea, use fresh, filtered water that is just short of boiling and steep for 2-4 minutes. Jasmine Pearls can be steeped several times to yield multiple infusions. Notice the subtle differences in aroma and taste as you enjoy each subsequent cup. As always, savor sip by sip.
4/26
