Make Blooming Tea

Preparing blooming tea (also known as flowering tea) is very simple and pleasant to watch. Typically made of tea leaves bound with flowers, it blooms into a beautiful surprise right in front of your eyes.

Ingredients

  • One blooming tea ball
  • 4 cups water
  • Sweetener of choice (optional)

Steps

  1. Place one blooming or flowering tea ball in a clear, medium to large sized glass teapot or tempered glass pitcher.
  2. Prepare the water. If you know what kind of tea is in the ball (white, green, or black) follow the guidelines in How to Make Tea when determining how hot to make the water. For example, if it is predominantly white tea, the water should not be boiling (170 degrees is best) when poured onto the tea. If the tea is black, bring the water to a full boil.
  3. Pour the hot water into the glass container.
  4. Watch for three to five minutes as it unravels from a tiny ball into a beautiful flower-like bloom.
  5. Steep the tea for at least 3 minutes (longer for a darker, more robust tea). Taste the tea as it steeps to see if it has reached a desired strength.
  6. Pour all the tea into cups. If you're not going to drink it all, pour it into another teapot where it can stay warm. Leaving the hot water in contact with the tea for too long can adversely affect the taste.
  7. Re-steep the tea. You may be able to do this 2-3 times, depending on the size, brand, how much tea you made, and how long you steeped the tea the first time. Remember that after a few re-steepings, the flavor will not be as bold as before in other pots.
  8. Finished.



Tips

  • If you don't have a glass pitcher, any glass container that is tall and wide will work as well. A clear container is preferred, however, if you want to see the tea "bloom".
  • Silver needle white tea has a mild flavor. The longer you steep it (about 15-20 minutes or longer) the more robust the flavor will get. A sweetener, such as honey, will help to bring out the flavor.
  • Blooming tea balls are available online and in many specialty and gift shops.

Warnings

  • Make sure that the glass container you use is capable of handling boiling water. Some glass containers will crack or even shatter when boiling water is poured in.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 medium to large glass teapot or heat proof glass pitcher
  • 1 blooming tea ball
  • Hot to boiling water

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