Jasmine and jasmine white tea | Jasmine Dragon Pearls

The rare Jasmine white tea gives the palate a delicate and soft sensation, with a refined sweet undertone. It immediately spreads its exotic and inebriating scent, not excessive, reminiscent of fresh jasmine flowers and notes of fruit. Perfect for moments of relaxation and meditation; preferably away from meals for a relaxing and engaging break. Flavored with jasmine buds, the white tea leaves pair well with desserts for tea time, but can also be savored after a light meal; so that their subtle and refreshing characteristics can be appreciated. Also called Jasmine Dragon Pearls for its “pearl” shape, this white tea also becomes elegant visually. Each pearl represents a small jewel, hand-rolled to retain the intense floral scent. It opens delicately during infusion, giving life to a tea that soothes and delights the palate, both hot and cold.

White jasmine tea: properties and benefits

This Dragon Pearls is a Chinese tea known for its antioxidant properties and low caffeine content. Thanks to the reduced processing of the leaves, these retain the greatest number of antioxidants, compared to other methods. They release antioxidant polyphenols, including compounds such as catechins and EGCG Epigallocatechin gallate, flavonoids and tannins. These plant-based molecules act within the body, protecting cells from damage that can be caused by free radicals. They therefore help fight aging and support the immune system. White tea can partially answer the question "which tea has the least theine?" since its processing method also helps the body in this sense. It is generally considered by nutritionists to be one of the teas with a lower caffeine / theine content than green or black tea. It also depends a lot on the type of infusion (time, quantity, format, etc.) but usually leaf tea, if infused for a short time, provides a reduced intake of this alkaloid. It helps concentration and attention, but without the exciting effects of coffee. It helps as a tonic to combat tiredness and helps good mood, stimulating brain activity. It promotes body weight balance thanks to the properties of polyphenols, linked to fat burning, and caffeine that stimulates metabolism. In addition, white tea promotes the drainage of excess fluids, with a diuretic action useful against water retention and swelling. At a digestive level, white tea promotes normal intestinal function especially after a heavy meal. It promotes the digestive process and the development of healthy bacteria in the intestine. Jasmine tea also provides a relaxing power, due to its wonderful jasmine aroma, useful as a natural anti-stress. The substances contained in the flowers act on the senses through the fragrance, resulting in calming the nervous system and promoting rest.

Where can you find Jasmine white tea?

This particular tea is not easy to find in normal supermarkets or tea shops. You can buy it in the Natura d'Oriente e-shop, which allows you to quickly obtain loose leaf white tea of ​​different varieties, including the traditional Chinese Dragon Pearls. We select the product with high quality criteria, packaging the Jasmine white tea in practical freshness-saving packages of 25 g, 50 g, 100 g, 150 g.

How to prepare the jasmine white tea infusion

It is obtained by placing in a cup (250 ml), about 3-5 grams of the mixture, with water at a temperature between 70 and 80 ° C - suitable for opening the tea pearls. Avoid using boiling water at a higher temperature, because it ruins the delicate flavor of white tea. Let it steep for 2 to 3 minutes before drinking. It is recommended to taste Jasmine white tea in its pure form, without adding sugar or milk.

The history of Dragon Pearls jasmine tea

The history of jasmine tea is ancient and comes from China, specifically from the province of Fujian. Highly appreciated during the Ming imperial dynasty (1368-1644), the combination was due to the high diffusion of the jasmine plant and the availability of the petals. Jasmine flowers became part of important ceremonial rites, in which tea masters enriched traditional tea with delicate flowers. There are several legends that recall this “magical” union, especially in the reference to dragon pearls for Jasmine Dragon Pearls tea. In a local story, a poor brother and sister lived in a small village in Fuzhou. When her brother fell ill, an old woman told her sister about a fantastic dragon that could heal him. The dragon wore beautiful pearls around his neck, and from the drops of these pearls grew tea bushes next to jasmine plants.. From the collection of leaves and flowers, the girl created pearls similar to those of the dragon and put them in infusion, to heal her brother. In another story, passed down from generation to generation in Chinese families, it was a little girl who was sick, and the elderly father received the help of the dragon in a dream. He revealed to him a secret method to cure her: combining the high mountain tea buds, collected in spring, with a flower from the far west. The elderly man undertook a journey and brought back the jasmine, creating the infusion that would heal his daughter. In reality, the production of this tea is laborious. The tea buds and leaves are collected in spring, then sent to the factories to be partially oxidized, dried and stored in a cool place. The white tea from the collection is mixed with jasmine flowers to be perfumed, following the natural cycle of this flower, which blooms in the evening from July to September. For this, tea and fresh flowers are combined overnight, allowing the tea leaf to absorb the natural fragrance of jasmine. The tea is then dried, continuing to soak up the floral aroma. This process continues the next day, when the mixture is sieved to separate the jasmine flowers from the tea leaves, and a new cycle begins in the evening. Each time, new fresh jasmine flowers are used, to reinforce the aroma. Typically, the superior quality of this Jasmine tea is scented at least 5-7 times. After about a month of work, this extraordinary white tea is obtained. In the Dragon Pearls version, the leaves are rolled to create real scented pearls. Each dragon pearl requires about four kilos of jasmine flowers, but it will certainly release its full aroma in the infusion!

How is white tea obtained?

In China, the basic leaves for jasmine tea are usually those of green tea, but any tea can be used, as in the case of our white tea scented with jasmine flowers. All types of white, green and black tea come from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, which is native to the Asian continent.
The decisive factor in differentiating teas is the so-called oxidation of the leaves, in which cellular enzymes and other compounds are activated by oxygen. This leads to a discoloration of the tea and the formation of the aroma. In white tea, the fermentation is interrupted, as the leaves oxidize only briefly, and are then dried. In addition, only the upper leaves of the plant bud are used for white tea: hand-picked and dried under special atmospheric and light conditions. It takes its name from the thin white "fluff" that envelops the tea leaves, collected just before they fully open, giving them an almost silvery appearance. Each stage of processing gives the tea its own character in terms of taste and color: highly appreciated for its refined aroma, delicate and soft taste. Furthermore, its color at the time of infusion becomes very light, giving life to the famous pale yellow of this drink. For those wondering what is the most prized tea? certainly, white tea is a valid answer. Due to its qualities, this infusion was once reserved for the Chinese imperial court, in particular the so-called Emperor Yin Zhen tea (Fujian buds hand-picked at the end of March). Today white tea is still considered one of the most prized in the world, but more easily available as in our proposal Jasmine Dragon Pearls.

White tea contraindications

It is generally considered safe to drink, although there are some risks to keep in mind, linked to the caffeine content. Although in small quantities, white tea contains caffeine. In high quantities, it can affect sleep or cause agitation, side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain and gastric acidity. So how much white tea should you drink per day? To avoid a high dose of caffeine, a moderate consumption of 1-2 cups per day is recommended.