Jasmine tea is a scented tea made by combining leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant with flower petals from either Common Jasmine or Arabian Jasmine.

Some tea historians think the practice of using jasmine petals to flavor tea originated in the fifth century. That’s when jasmine flowers first came to China by way of India. But the tea reached prominence in Fujian province during China’s Ming Dynasty, which began in 1368 and lasted for 276 years. While jasmine tea remained popular in China for centuries, it didn’t reach the West through export or trade until the late 19th century.

The jasmine flower is considered one of the holy flowers in Buddhism and has religious and cultural significance throughout Asia. Jasmine tea is also closely associated with its medicinal uses, and with a meditative ritual of preparation known as the Gongfu tea ceremony.

Today, it’s among the most prevalent flavoured teas worldwide.

Partially fermented tea blended with jasmine petals.