Recently, when our editor visited a tea shop, a customer angrily held up a bag of jasmine tea and demanded: "Why are there no jasmine flowers in this jasmine tea I bought from your store?" The shop owner was speechless, and our editor was equally amused.

Just as there is no wife in a wife cake, no fish in fish-fragrant shredded pork, and no squirrel in squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, there are also no jasmine flowers in jasmine tea. What contains jasmine flowers is jasmine herbal tea, not jasmine tea.

Since there are no jasmine flowers in jasmine tea, why does it have a strong jasmine flavor?

This is because tea leaves have a strong absorption capacity and can absorb the scent of jasmine flowers, resulting in a rich jasmine aroma. This absorption process is called "scenting."

What is scenting?

"Scenting" is essentially the process of jasmine flowers releasing their fragrance and tea leaves absorbing it. Jasmine flowers and tea leaves are piled together until the tea leaves fully absorb the floral scent. Then, machines separate the tea leaves from the jasmine flowers. The tea leaves saturated with the jasmine fragrance become "jasmine tea."

Some tea enthusiasts might wonder why jasmine flowers aren’t included in the tea. Consider this: once the jasmine flowers have released their fragrance, they lose their aroma and become virtually worthless. If these scentless petals were brewed with the tea, they could produce a stale flavor, adversely affecting the taste and overall experience of the jasmine tea.

However, there are exceptions. For example, Sichuan's "Bitan Piaoxue" is a jasmine tea that does include jasmine petals. It is crafted from high-grade jasmine flowers and early spring tea buds. When brewed, light green tea is adorned with floating white petals, creating a delicate and visually appealing contrast. This tea is not only aromatic and pleasant-tasting but also highly ornamental.

Jasmine tea offers health benefits such as clearing heat, detoxifying, regulating qi, calming the nerves, and possessing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can effectively alleviate symptoms like red, swollen eyes and amenorrhea due to blood deficiency. It also helps with conditions like bad breath, skin ulcers, and irregular menstruation, making it an ideal daily beverage for women.