If you're not familiar with the whole culture surrounding tea, then you're probably unfamiliar with the term, "blooming art tea". It's a pretty neat concept and is something that can amaze your party guests of all ages. You'll never grow tired of serving blooming teas.
Most likely, it was the Chinese that came up with the idea of a flowering or a blooming tea because the flowers used in these teas are commonly found in China and shipped around the world.
What is a Blooming Art Tea?
A flowering or blooming tea is exactly as it sounds. It is a bundle of dried flowers and tea leaves that expand and "bloom" in the hot water in your personal teapot. When the bundle blooms, it looks like a little bouquet. For this reason, it's good to have a glass teapot whereby the blooming can be "experienced" in real time right at the table you're sitting at. The amount of size difference of the finished bloom can be five or six times that of the dried flowering tea ball. It takes about 5 minutes to bloom.
The flowers used in flowering blooms include jasmine, chrysanthemum, amaranth, hibiscus, lily and osmanthus. They smell great and lend a little aromatherapy to the tea party. Flowering teas don't get bitter even though they may steep for extended periods of time. (Remember, the average green tea only steeps for 5 minutes.) The mild flavor of the flowers neutralizes any bitter taste of the steeped green or black infusions.
How are Flowering Blooms Made?
There's a special art to the making of flowering teas. They are hand sewn by women in tea gardens far away from civilization in the southwestern Yunnan province of China. This area is near Laos and Vietnam. The types of tea leaves generally used in flowering teas are white, green and black. While the leaves are still somewhat wet, it's easy to flatten them and sew them together into a bundle. Each one is handcrafted and some may take up to 10 minutes to craft. Some are sewed together in long garlands that can look absolutely beautiful in the teapot.
Making Artisan Teas Part of Your Memories
Blooming teas really deserve their own glass teapot. You can buy blooming tea sets that include a blooming tea pot, hand painted small cups and assorted blooms.
Blooming teas make excellent gifts! You can continually add water to the teapot, increasing the steeping time to get more flavor with each cup of tea. The aroma smells best when you drink the first cup.
One way to present a blooming tea at your party is to give everyone their own large glass with a wide base. This will allow the tea ball to fully bloom. Imagine a party where everyone has their own flowering tea with a completely different flower, aroma and taste. It's the foundation for one of the most memorable tea parties your friends will ever experience; guaranteed!
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