Jasmine tea is one of the most popular teas offered at Asian restaurants. The delicate and fragrant brew can easily be paired with bold herbal and spicy flavors. While the tea is usually sipped as a hot beverage in between or after meals, it can also be enjoyed cold on a hot summer day.
Jasmine (Jasminum spp.) flowers contain a variety of chemicals, although none have been identified with specific pharmacologic activity. In India (ayurvedic medicine), jasmine has been used to suppress lactation, and one published study found that jasmine leaves applied to the breasts suppressed postpartum lactation as effectively as oral bromocriptine.[rx–rx] However, the study was not of high quality. No data exist on the excretion of any components of jasmine into breastmilk or on the safety and efficacy of jasmine in nursing mothers or infants. Jasmine is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) as a food ingredient by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Occasional allergic reactions to jasmine have been reported. It is unlikely typical jasmine intake, such as drinking small amounts of jasmine tea, would be harmful during nursing.
The tea is believed to have originally come from Persia, through India, to China. Jasmine tea first appeared in official records during the Song Dynasty in China, which ended in the 13th Century A.D., but at that time, it was mainly reserved for royalty. So let’s find out more about this regal brew.
What Is Jasmine Tea?
Jasmine tea is a scented tea made by blending green, white, oolong, or black tea leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant with jasmine flowers. The most common variety is jasmine green tea. It is not a caffeine-free beverage and cannot be termed an herbal tea. Some varieties of tea are tea leaves flavored with jasmine flower extract or jasmine essential oil. The tea is rich in antioxidants that can have a wide range of beneficial effects on your body. [rx] [rx] [rx]
Types
There are several varieties of jasmine tea available in the market. The appearance, flavor, and price of the tea depend on the origin and the grade of tea leaves. To know more types of tea leaves, we encourage you to read. You can buy a loose-leaf variety of tea, tea bags, or closely rolled and rolled scented tea leaves known as jasmine pearls. There are also artisanal teas where jasmine is combined with other fragrant flowers like marigold into a tightly packed tea flower, which blooms when steeped in hot water.
Jasmine teas usually have a delicate scent with a bright finish. This is one of the reasons they also make for a gentle palate cleanser and can be sipped in between meals. Avoid teas that are scented with an artificial jasmine flavor as they will not give you the same soothing experience as sipping one made with real jasmine flowers.
How to Make Jasmine Tea?
Jasmine tea is best enjoyed when steeped for about three minutes with filtered water that is around 160 to 180 degrees. You can experiment with duration times to find out your preferences on how strong or mellow you like it. The water should be simmering and not boiling to avoid an astringent-tasting brew. If you are using an electric kettle that does not have a temperature control setting, you can simply let the boiling hot water stay in the kettle for a minute before using it. Each jasmine tea variation comes with its package instructions and it is best to follow them for a perfect cup. High-quality tea leaves can be steeped multiple times but the taste and fragrances get mellow with each steeping.
The tea is best had without milk and sugar to enjoy the perfect floral notes. However, if you feel the need to sweeten it, you can add a little raw honey.
Other Jasmine Tea Recipes
Iced Jasmine Tea: To make iced jasmine tea, steep the tea leaves in filtered water in a pitcher and refrigerate it for 6 to 12 hours. Enjoy this refreshing cold brew at any time of the day. You can sweeten it with simple sugar syrup or honey.
Desserts: You can use jasmine tea to flavor any delicate desserts or sweet baked goods like tea cakes, sorbets, puddings, and even a traditional crème brûlée. While jasmine works wonderfully well by itself, it also pairs well with citrus flavors like orange and lemon. So, experiment with a jasmine tea flavored lemon cake using our Moist & Fluffy Lemon Cake Recipe or make an exotic tropical treat by blending the tea into our 3-Ingredient Mango Sorbet Recipe.
Make your jasmine tea with fresh flowers: If you get hold of fresh jasmine flowers and want to make your jasmine tea at home, here is a simple, easy recipe. Do make sure you choose the right flowers of the Jasminum species such as J. officinale (common jasmine), J. sambac (Arabian jasmine), or J. polyanthum (pink or white jasmine)as other varieties like star jasmine are toxic. Also, the flowers should be free of pesticides and chemicals. Flower buds or freshly opened flowers, plucked when the dew has dried, are the best ones to use.
Perfectly Scented Jasmine Tea Recipe
- Course: Tea
- Cuisine: Asian
- Keyword: Jasmine Tea
- Appliance: Tea Strainer
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Resting Time: 1 day
- Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup green or black tea loose leaf
- 1 cup jasmine flowers fresh, chemical-free
Instructions
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Add 1/4 cup of the green or black tea leaves to an empty mason jar. Add the jasmine flowers and tap the jar gently on a flat surface so that they settle together.
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Now, cover the flowers with the rest of the tea leaves.
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To release the fragrance of the jasmine flowers, keep a small heavy object on top of the tea layers and close the jar.
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Keep the jar in a dark, dry place for a day for the flavors and fragrance to be properly infused into the tea leaves.
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Your jasmine scented tea leaves for ready for use. The tea leaves can stay with the dried flowers for up to 6 months if stored well.
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You can steep the tea leaves for 3 minutes for a perfect cup of tea. To sweeten this tea, use honey or date syrup. Enjoy!
You can experiment with oolong and white tea leaves too.
Buying & Storing: You can buy jasmine tea online or from select tea stores. It is best to refer to buyer reviews to get a better sense of the product quality. Store this scented tea in an airtight container, preferably away from strong-smelling products as the tea leaves can absorb these scents. Certain wooden containers, airtight tins with strong-smelling rubber seals, and plastic containers can leave your tea with an unpleasant aroma and flavor.
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10 Amazing Health Benefits Of Jasmine Tea
Imagine coming home after a long day at work and longing for an instant mood booster. Doesn’t a cup of tea sound perfect? Let us give you an even better choice. How about a freshly brewed cup of Jasmine tea? Definitely a cut above the rest.
Jasmine Tea can help fight several health disorders including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Jasmine tea also provides health benefits that are similar to green tea and also helps to have excellent skin health.
Aids weight loss
- Jasmine teas can help you achieve that BMI you always wanted! by speeding up metabolism and aiding digestion, jasmine teas can give you that extra boost.
- The adequate caffeine content and polyphenol EGCG are the two major compounds responsible for better metabolism and weight loss.
- A recent study shows that people who drank jasmine tea daily had a higher chance of burning fat than those who didn’t. This increase in metabolism not only helps you to lose weight but also energizes you to exercise more efficiently and has a positive impact on your health.
- Even though jasmine teas are naturally low on calorie, adding artificial sweeteners like sugar and honey can increase the calorie content.
- Did you know you could burn fats and calories even when you aren’t working? Well, a study conducted in Japan in 2010 revealed that people who consumed green tea regularly had a higher resting metabolism than those who didn’t.
- However, more studies on humans are needed to further verify the effects of green tea on humans and its direct relation to weight loss.
Has Antioxidants
- The presence of antioxidants like polyphenols and catechin can hugely benefit your health. From protection against cell damage to improved blood sugar level, these antioxidants help you with good health in many ways.
- Jasmine tea is abundant in antioxidants, as the base of Jasmine tea is made from green tea. Therefore, the very effective polyphenol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is also present in the infusion.
- Antioxidants are known to work within your body and destroy free radicals that could cause diseases and destroy your immune system. Catechins present in green teas have been known to have anti-inflammatory properties and lowering the risk of heart diseases.
Could Enhance Brain Function
- The right amount of caffeine present in green teas is known to be a good stimulant and a mood enhancer with the likes of dopamine and serotonin.
- All in all, green teas can make you feel more alert, energized and improve short-term memory.
- Jasmine teas are also known to have a type of amino acid called L-theanine that triggers gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and put you in a relaxed and mindful state.
- When consumed, the combination of caffeine and L-theanine can enhance brain function much efficiently.
A study issued in the journal Psychopharmacology say that green teas can enhance our cognitive functions and our brain’s working memory.
May Reduce the risks of Cancer
- The High amount of antioxidants present in jasmine tea reduces free radicals and prevent cell damage and may lower the risk of cancer. Although studies on green tea show mixed results- green teas can aid healthy cell growth in many stages.
- The polyphenols present in green tea are particularly responsible for the reduced growth of cancer cells, minimized size of the tumor, and triggered death rate of cancer cells.
- However, green teas should not be seen as a medication to prevent cancer but as a stimulant to reduce or slow down the effects of cancer cells.
A study showed that drinking one to two cups of green tea every day reduced the resurrection of colon cancer cells in people suffering from colon by 51.6%.
Promote Good Skin Health
- Thanks to the antioxidants and essential oils present in Jasmine blossoms and green tea, jasmine teas are filled with the goodness of antibacterial properties and keep your skin looking its best for longer.
- Jasmine oils can also be used for wounds and scars to aid skin healing and promote good skin health.
Free radicals not only hamper cell health but also damage the skin health making you look older than normal. Jasmine green teas also tackle this and slow down skin ageing.
Improves Oral Health
- Jasmine teas are mostly based on green teas and can help promote good oral health. Stuffed with catechins, green teas may prevent tooth decay and cavities.
- Another study involving 30 people showed that using green tea-based mouth wash for 1 week was just as effective using an antiseptic mouthwash.
A study involving 15 people who applied a solution of green tea every day, exhibited a reduction in the levels of Streptococcus mutans and a decreased acid production when applied to teeth.
Could lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
- More than 400 million people around the world have diabetes and type 2 is the most common of them all.
- Jasmine green teas could lower the risk of type 2 diabetes as they contain compounds like ECGC. These antioxidants can help produce insulin and help move sugar in blood cells more effectively and reduce blood sugar levels.
- A group of 12 studies involving more than 760,000 people found that consuming 3 cups green tea daily reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16%.
However, more studies are required to confirm the role of green tea in improving reducing type 2 diabetes.
May Improve Heart Health
- Teas also include another collection of antioxidants called flavonoids that are known to benefit heart health.
- These flavonoids can also be found in vegetables, red wine, fruits and dark chocolates.
- Finding a way to add green tea to your daily routine can significantly help reduce your risk of future health complications.
Verified by Arab L. et al. during their 2009 analysis paper called “ Green and black tea consumption and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis”, it was discovered that individuals who consumed tea daily begot a 21% lower risk of a stroke than those who didn’t.
May Relieve Stress
- We saved the best for the last as jasmine teas are known to be a great stress reliever due to its sensual aroma and flavor profile. Jasmine teas are sometimes also used for aromatherapy and used to elevate mood.
- Researches have revealed the olfactory functions have a strong connection to relaxation. The scented aroma of jasmine tea can initiate a parasympathetic response, which discharges chemicals that stimulate the body to relax and unravel. Few studies dig deeper in studying the medical effects of jasmine tea aromas and although results have been uncertain and are continuing, it’s safe to say that drinking jasmine tea can be a great stress reliever.
Fortifies against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
- Jasmine tea has plenty of polyphenols such as EGCG which are highly responsible for lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.
- Jasmine tea infused with green tea has a combined effect as both of these reduces inflammation and counteract the damage of free radicals.
- Research shows that Jasmine tea is found effective in suppressing the proteins from clumping and folding abnormally in the brain.
- In a nutshell, it is scrutinized that people who include jasmine tea and green tea as their base have 15% fewer chances of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Similarly, people who include Jasmine tea with green tea as the base have 35% fewer chances of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and any other brain malfunctioning disease.
Jasmine Tea Side Effects
Early Contractions During Pregnancy
- While aromatherapy is often popular during pregnancy, jasmine tea is not recommended for pregnant women. Due to its strong scent and chemical composition, jasmine tea and jasmine essential oils have been linked to early contractions and other negative effects. It’s best to avoid jasmine tea when pregnant or consult with a doctor before using.
Stomach Irritation
- Jasmine tea features powerful flavors and a high acidic content, which can irritate the stomach lining. To avoid this side effect, avoid drinking jasmine tea on an empty stomach and limit consumption if you feel pain. Always make sure to purchase organic tea or high-quality tea to avoid stomach irritation that can be caused by harmful chemicals and pesticides.
Caffeine Sensitivity
- While some people seek out teas specifically for their caffeine properties, other individuals may have a sensitivity to caffeine. If you cannot tolerate caffeine, avoid jasmine tea blends with true tea leaves or opt for a teabag variety that is caffeine-free.
References
Dr. Md. Harun Ar Rashid, MPH, MD, PhD, is a highly respected medical specialist celebrated for his exceptional clinical expertise and unwavering commitment to patient care. With advanced qualifications including MPH, MD, and PhD, he integrates cutting-edge research with a compassionate approach to medicine, ensuring that every patient receives personalized and effective treatment. His extensive training and hands-on experience enable him to diagnose complex conditions accurately and develop innovative treatment strategies tailored to individual needs. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Harun Ar Rashid is dedicated to medical education and research, writing and inventory creative thinking, innovative idea, critical care managementing make in his community to outreach, often participating in initiatives that promote health awareness and advance medical knowledge. His career is a testament to the high standards represented by his credentials, and he continues to contribute significantly to his field, driving improvements in both patient outcomes and healthcare practices.
