Every so often something comes along that makes you happy to be alive.  For us, Jasmine tea  – and specifically Anhui Province Jasmine green tea  - is one such thing.

The unmistakeable scent of Jasmine blossoms can stop you in your tracks.  When blended with tea they makes a delicious, sweet, fruity, delicate drink.  The process is however far from simple.  The blossoms are harvested first thing in the morning , when the petals are tightly closed.  Because the fragrance is most intense at night, they are then stored in a cool place during the day.  The following evening, they are mixed with the dry tea leaves in a special machine that uses slightly warm air to transfer the scent from the flowers to the tea.  This process is repeated as many times as necessary to achieve the required quality – sometimes as many as 7.  Once the flavour is right, the tea is fired again to dry off the moisture it has absorbed from the flowers.  Some of the dry Jasmine flowers are sometimes mixed with the tea at this stage (as they are for this China Green Jasmine).

Jasmine is believed to have many health benefits.   It is used as an anti-depressant (especially for post-natal depression), as it is reputed to lift mood and to have an energising effect.  It is also traditionally used to ease childbirth, soothe coughs and relax muscle pains.  Jasmine is commonly used in China to improve irritable, dry or greasy skin and to reduce stretch marks.