Artistic teas, or “blooming teas” as they are called in English, are originally from China, where they have been produced for many years. Their consumption was reserved for special occasions due to their high cost.
These are tea leaves of a special variety that are tied by hand with a natural flower. The leaves are folded so that the flower is in the center, forming a small ball or pearl, which hydrates and expands upon contact with hot water, releasing the flower it contains from within.
During the communist revolution, the authorities practically banned its production, considering it a luxury, bourgeois and useless item, and preferred that farmers devote themselves to producing food for the people. Fortunately, with the commercial opening of China in 1970, government officials realized the value of this tea for trade and allowed its production again, providing a decent income for tea producers.
On the other hand, the National Tea Research Institute and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences developed a variety of Camellia Sinensis with longer leaves, a good color and that does not become bitter after a long infusion time. It is also resistant to cold and easy to reproduce by means of cuttings. This helped many gardens to be planted with this variety, perfect for making this type of tea.
Anhui Province became famous for a flower-shaped tea called “Lu Mu Dan” also called: Rose Mu Dan or Green Peony. “Mu Dan” means peony in Chinese, it is considered the queen of flowers and symbolizes well-being and prosperity. The Chinese gave this name to this figure because when it opens it resembles this flower.
Since 1980, Yunnan province has also been producing artistic teas, with 3 grafts of tea plants suitable for this purpose and developed by the Yunnan Department of Agriculture. Here, teas are produced in the form of pyramids (or pagodas), rings, strawberries (or walnuts, or lychees), etc. Traditionally, they were only produced with green teas, but nowadays they are found with black or ulong teas.
The labor load of each piece requires that a single person produce an average of 20 pieces a day. In 1994, the total production of Lu Mu Dan was only one ton, which is why its price is high. In our country, a piece costs approximately 30 to 50 pesos.
Six years ago, in Darjeeling, the famous tea region of India, this type of tea began to be produced, mainly in flower and pyramid shapes.
I recommend preparing it in a heat-resistant glass teapot or jug (borosilicate), large and tall enough (ideally for 1 to 1.5 Lt.) to appreciate the flower in all its splendor (many of the tea pearls contain bundles of several flowers that float like tiaras when hydrated).
Prepare it with very hot water (boiling), once you fill your teapot with water drop the Tea pearl in and wait without stirring until it opens completely, do not remove them from the water, since the idea is to appreciate their beauty. Take your Tea and add more hot water to prepare more Tea with the same pearl (up to 3 liters).
Go ahead and treat yourself to this little luxury and offer it to your guests on special occasions. You won't regret it. They are an elegant way to drink tea and enjoy a beautiful show at the same time. In fact, they are often used as gifts at baptisms, communions and weddings, in individual boxes personalized with the details of the person being celebrated.
At EURO TE we have 12 beautiful varieties with different flowers and different presentations ranging from 1 piece, 50 g cans (containing 6 to 8 pieces) to exclusive kits with 6 varieties.
Olivia Medina
Tea Master, EURO TEA
