Why Jasmine Tea?
We should take note of its popularity across Asia as a tea for regular consumption, served for many purposes.
Some of our favourite teas are excellent by themselves or with morning and afternoon snacks but are not as appropriate when paired with meals or consumed late at night. The subtle and unique flavour of jasmine tea pairs well with meals from many cultures and its caffeine content is lower than other green teas.
There is a lot of information out there on the health benefits of tea, and with the proviso that I am not a doctor, here are some benefits of jasmine in particular that are supported by medical studies.
Health Benefits
Due to its high level of antioxidants, jasmine tea is capable of eliminating free radicals in our bodies to some degree. Free radicals are formed by pollutants in food and our environment and are linked to cancer and neurological diseases. Jasmine tea also contains epigallocatechin which the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found may protect DNA from the damage caused by free radicals. 1
Those Antioxidants have benefits for heart health as well, and catechins found in jasmine tea can lower LDL cholesterol oxidation leading to healthier veins and arteries and assist people with high blood pressure. 2
BMC conducted a study and found that green tea promoted glucose metabolism in healthy human volunteers and lowered blood glucose levels in diabetic mice.3 More research is required but there is a positive indication that green tea may have an antidiabetic effect.
How to Brew
Daily Ritual China Jasmine Green Tea should be brewed for 2 to 3 minutes at between 70℃ and 90℃. It is a delicate tea, so be careful not to use boiling water to ensure you truly experience its full flavour. A kettle with temperature settings or a thermometer will make this simple, but for an eyeball attempt you can use the “fish eyes” method used by Chinese tea brewers. When boiling the kettle there is said to be three phases of bubbles and 70-90℃ will be found in the second phase after the first small bubbles, but before the big ones that break the surface. Practice.
One teaspoon per cup is a good place to start, but like with all tea you should test what tastes best to you. If it becomes bitter you have added too much!
Jasmine tea aids digestion and is associated with many other health benefits, contains a low amount of caffeine, pairs well with meals and is easily appreciated by people who don’t usually drink tea. Surprise your friends and family the next time they come over for dinner. Serve jasmine.
Daily Ritual China Jasmine Green Tea is now on special, buy 100g for $10 while stocks last.
Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15585768
2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2007.tb00314.x
3. https://bmcpharma.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2210-4-18