Canton Jasmine Pearls: origin and flavour

These perfectly formed pearls are very special. In a time-consuming, centuries old process, the pearls have been entirely hand-rolled from the tender young green tea leaves at the top of the bush. They are then infused using fresh jasmine blossoms to give the intense, heady jasmine scent that billows out of the pack when you open it. For lovers of jasmine tea, this infusion is unrivalled. If you’ve never tried an authentic jasmine tea before (and it’s not that easy to find), prepare to be astonished.

the origin

Deep in the Yunnan Province of China, farmer Li Jianguo and his team hand-pick the top silvery bud and two tender leaves of the tea bush. The bud and leaves are then painstakingly rolled by hand into a perfect iridescent pearl, one that we ensure is of the highest quality, both in terms of the pearl itself and the tea for its flavour. To achieve this quality of pearl, it’s essential that the tea is very young and pliable in order to make the tight pearls.

Later in the spring, when the jasmine comes into blossom, the pearls are carefully transported to the Guanxi province – ‘The Home of Jasmine’ – for the next important phase of their flavour infusion. Every night, for six nights, the tea pearls are blanketed in a thick layer of fresh jasmine blossoms. Throughout the night, the blossoms release their heady, sweet scent, intoxicating the tea pearls and enriching them with the same perfume. In the morning, the blossoms are blown away with huge fans and the pearls are covered again with fresh flowers, ensuring the pearls are saturated with the scent of jasmine by the end of the scenting process. The quality of the tea andmat the number of nights the pearls are scented are the factors that set Canton Jasmine Pearls apart. It is clear in the intensity of the fragrance and the soft, delicate flavour of the green tea.

the flavour

Due to the intensity of the jasmine infusion process, the aromas and flavours are naturally jasmine-heavy, with a delicious undertone of honeydew melon in the soft, sweet green tea. The quality of the tea is so good and the method of scenting is so thorough that, when brewed correctly, this tea can be infused several times. If you follow our guidelines and brew the tea in a specific tea-to-water ratio, at a certain temperature, for the right amount of time, the water won’t have penetrated the centre of the pearl and the pearls will have so much more to give. It is one of our most popular teas, the favourite of so many who have fallen under its spell. Maybe it will captivate you, too.

To enjoy Canton Jasmine Pearls at home, buy them here.