Flowering Tea

snipped-for-privacy@foodbanter.com/15/06

snip

British public.

Hi,

I don't know whether this is viable for you, but Silk Road Teas in California, USA offers seven display teas in their current list. I have not tried them, but can vouch for the extraordinary freshness of their non display green tea offerings. Silk Road Teas sells retail and wholesale. Telephone: 415-458-8624. Website: (Don't forget the last "s" in "silkroadteas.") Address; 2980 Kerner Blvd. Suite A; San Rafael CA 94901. Hope it works out. Let us know.

Michael

There was a recent discussion on blossom teas. I like the term that Icetea first used better than flower which can be generic. It appears to be a recent craft that is making it's way to Western markets. The biggest selection by far is Dragon Tea House on Ebay. I've tried a couple and just placed an order for 15 more just to get a feel for what to expect. Mydnight in China thinks they're artificial from manmade materials but not my experience so far. They make spectacular infusions and I don't think the flower adds much to the predominate Jasmine taste. The Jasmine so far is of YinHao quality which is the only Jasmine I can stand. There are special glass pots for brewing but any appropriate glassware will work. I will say if all I get is Jasmine taste then the novelty will wear thin fast. I can see these becoming collector items just because one of a kind creations. I also suspect there is correlation between price and 'quality'. I have a bulk order from another vendor that is 'dirt' cheap.

Jim

gracecat wrote:

They are currently very fashionable in China and a lot of companies are selling them.

None of the artistic teas are made with decent quality tea as far as I can see. if you want something that actually tastes good, I would tend to avoid them.

It has for centuries.

Here in the US, you can buy a couple different kinds from Upton's which aren't noxious but aren't anythign to write home about.

Most of the Chinese distribution folks can sell you a huge variety of the things... be aware that contamination with handling materials like glues is very common. The prices are basically tied to how nice they look and bear no connection to taste. Don't believe anyone who tells you anything about quality until you actually drink it, and do cut one of them apart to look for signs of contamination.

--scott

I have had quite a bite if experience with these in the last few years. Scott was dead on in his post. These are NOT high quality tea in terms of the flavor of the cup. They are "display teas" whose main claim to fame is their visual impact. They are often made from large leaf Yunnan varieties processed as white tea(sometimes green but usually white) . The larger leaf from these varieties makes them easy to tie into different configurations. To date all of the ones I have tried had real flowers in them yet virtually no floral aroma. They are best consumed in tall clear glassware to make the most of their visual impact. I have found that tall slender beer mugs work quite well. They are particularly good for after dinner tea with non-tea drinking guests as a novelty. Real tea drinkers wont find much in them beyond theirs looks though.

-- Mike Petro

In China, teas like this are peddled mostly to foreigners, mainlanders, and Hong Kongers on day trips across the water; generally people that are thought to know not as much about tea. I stand by what I've said about dyes, additives, and plastics being used in the making of these teas. The flower petals might be real, but do you really think after sitting in a bag for a month or two that the tea would be able to remain such vivacity without any preservatives added?

They are also factory produced.

hth

If a shipment from China is too slow, there are various sellers on Ebay that sell the commercial brand Numi. You can turn up other creations from web vendors on this side of the Pacific by using 'flowering teas' in a search engine. Your sister might be starting a new wedding tradition. I was told everybody in MN drinks coffee so leave my glass pot and blossoms at home.

Jim

enid wrote: