Scented tea: What is Chinese scented tea? 你了解中国窨制花茶吗？

Scented flower tea, also known as "XiangPian" is a tea with a long history. Records indicate that the practice of consuming flower tea in the East dates back to the Tang Dynasty in China, where it was more common to steep fresh flowers with tea leaves, akin to herbal tea. It wasn't until the Southern Song Dynasty that mentions of jasmine-scented tea began to appear. Before the Ming Dynasty, flower tea was primarily enjoyed by scholars and literati, and the popularity of tea competitions led to the development of various methods for crafting and brewing flower tea. During the Yuan Dynasty, the well-known painter Ni Zan elevated the competition through lotus flower tea, establishing key principles for later flower tea production.

By the Ming Dynasty, writings by Gu Yuanqing and Zhu Quan indicated that the tea-making techniques of that time were very similar to modern methods of crafting scented flower tea. Additionally, many small workshops specializing in this tea began to emerge in the Jiangnan region, gradually making it a staple in daily consumption. By the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1851), Fuzhou in Fujian Province became a center for the production of scented flower tea, where jasmine tea began to be produced on a large scale.

The method for crafting scented flower tea was introduced to Taiwan in 1881 by Wu Fulao. Since then, the basic processes have not significantly changed, but the techniques for combining different flowers with tea have become more refined. Each tea master often has their unique skills, allowing their flower teas to stand out in the market.

Differences Between Eastern and Western Flower Teas

Scented flower tea is characterized by the addition of flowers during the roasting process of the tea leaves, allowing the leaves to absorb the floral aroma. In contrast, Western flower teas typically focus more on spices and dried flowers or blend tea leaves with other ingredients, generally referred to as herbal tea. From a linguistic perspective, scented flower tea is labeled as "Scented Tea," while Western flower tea is classified as "Herbal Tea," illustrating a clear distinction.

The Production Process

1. Pre-roasting the Tea Base
   The process begins with roasting the raw tea leaves (the base) to eliminate any off-flavors and grassy notes, making the base tea flavor more pure. After roasting, the tea leaves must rest and cool for 3 to 7 days to allow any residual roast flavor to dissipate.

2. Selecting Flowers
   Freshly picked flowers cannot be used immediately; they must maintain the proper humidity and airflow. Just before the buds bloom, any stems, leaves, and sepals that could introduce off-flavors are manually removed, and decayed petals must be filtered out to ensure the final flower tea's aroma and taste are not compromised.

3. Fermentation
   The processed flowers and tea are layered alternately, allowing them to naturally ferment together, where the floral aroma and juices are absorbed by the tea leaves. This process usually requires at least eight hours, with exact timing varying based on the flower type and temperature. The quality of fermentation directly impacts the aroma and sweetness of the flower tea.

4. Scenting
   After fermentation, the flowers and tea need to be separated again and blended for roasting in specific proportions. This step ensures that the floral aroma is fully released, allowing the tea leaves to absorb all the essential flavors. The roasting temperature also helps to remove moisture from the fermentation process, preventing spoilage.

5. Flower Removal
   After the scenting roast, the tea has absorbed the floral sweetness. Although the flowers might emit a charred aroma, they can impart bitterness during brewing; thus, they must be manually filtered out. This is why traditional scented flower tea does not contain visible flowers yet is still referred to as flower tea.

6. Enhancing Fragrance
   The tea, now without flowers, is allowed to rest for several days to let the roast flavor dissipate. However, the floral scent may become too overpowering, masking the tea's base aroma. Therefore, the tea is roasted again to balance the relationship between the tea and floral aromas.

7. Final Product
   After enhancing the fragrance, the flower tea must rest for another seven days to completely eliminate any remaining roast flavor from the roasting process. Before packaging, the tea master samples the flower tea to ensure that the aroma and taste meet their standards.

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