Scented & Flavoured Tea

Scented tea is not a [tea category](/knowledge/what-is-tea) in its own right. It is a refinement technique that can be applied to any of the six base teas — and one that has been raised to high art in China over the course of centuries. ## Two fundamental methods ### 1. Scenting at source The tea comes into contact with fresh flowers or petals during or directly after manufacture. The leaf absorbs the aroma of the flowers — the flowers are then either removed or left as a decorative element. Classic examples: **[Jasmine pearls / Jasmine Dragon Pearls](/product/premium-jasmine-dragon-pearls)** from Fujian — Perhaps the most famous scented tea. Young [green tea](/knowledge/green-tea) leaves are rolled into small pellets, wrapped in tissue paper and dried. They are then layered with fresh jasmine blossoms and left to rest for 5–6 hours. For 100 kilograms of tea, 100 kilograms of blossoms are used. This process is repeated 3 to 8 times — each time with slightly fewer blossoms. The result: a delicate tea that carries the promise of a spring garden. **[Jasmine Silver Needle](/product/premium-jasmine-silver-needle)** — A particularly noble variant: instead of green tea, the fine buds of [Yin Zhen / Silver Needle](/knowledge/white-tea) are scented with jasmine. The result is of velvety lightness. **[Jasmine High Mountain](/product/competition-shanlin-xi-high-mountain-jasmine)** — A Taiwanese variation: a high-mountain oolong scented with jasmine blossoms. The creaminess of [high-mountain oolong](/knowledge/oolong-tea) marries the floral notes of jasmine into something unique. **Rose Congou** — High-quality black tea from Fujian, Yunnan, Anhui or Hunan, layered multiple times with rose petals. Rounded, full-bodied, with a clear rose note. **Lychee black tea** — Black tea from Fujian, scented with real lychee juice and aroma. Fruity-sweet, soft, exotic. **Osmanthus oolong** — Golden-yellow osmanthus blossoms combined with oolong (often Tie Guan Yin or Dan Cong). Apricot-sweet, floral, lingering. **Lotus green tea** — A Vietnamese-Chinese tradition: green tea is placed overnight inside opened lotus blossoms; the flower closes, the leaf absorbs the aroma. ### 2. Flavoured blends Here a base tea is combined with dried flowers, fruits, herbs, spices, essential oils or flavour granules. A whole world opens up — from Swiss breakfast blends to Indian masala chai compositions. **Earl Grey** — The most famous flavoured tea in the world. Named after Charles, Earl Grey, British prime minister from 1830 to 1834. Classically a Chinese [black tea](/knowledge/black-tea) scented with oil of bergamot, a small citrus fruit from southern Italy. Today, green, oolong and even white variants are also available. **Chai** — The Indian tradition. A robust black tea (usually Assam) blended with spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and pepper. Traditionally simmered with milk and sugar. **English Breakfast** — A British invention. A blend of robust black teas — classically from Assam, Ceylon and East Africa — strong enough to take milk. **Lapsang Souchong** — A special case: a tea smoked over pine wood. Not strictly a scented tea in the usual sense, but defined by its added smoke aroma. **[Genmaicha](/product/premium-genmaicha)** and **[Matcha Genmaicha](/product/premium-matcha-genmaicha)** — Japan's answer: Sencha blended with puffed rice, in the Matcha version enriched with powdered Matcha. Nutty, toasty, unbeatable for everyday drinking. **Flavoured Milk Oolong** — Common in Taiwan and across Asian markets: jade oolong with added milk flavouring. Not to be confused with natural [Milk Fragrance / Jin Xuan](/product/milk-fragrance), whose milky note comes from the cultivar itself. ## What makes a good scented tea • The base tea — should be of good quality, but without too strong a character of its own that would compete with the flavours. • The flavouring ingredients — should suit the character of the base tea and be of high quality. • The balance — flavourings should not overwhelm the tea; the tea should not overwhelm the flavourings. At VestaTea we follow these principles. We believe that a flavoured tea, too, can have character and depth — when it is composed with the same care as a fine wine. ## Preparation Scented teas follow the recommendations of their base tea: • Green scented teas (jasmine, lotus): 75–85 °C, 2–3 minutes • Oolong blends: 90 °C, 3 minutes • Black scented teas (Earl Grey, Rose Congou, chai): 95 °C, 3 minutes A good scented tea opens like a garden in the cup — and proves that tradition and innovation need not be in conflict.