What is Scented Tea Scented Tea, also popularly known as Hua Cha, is tea whose aroma and taste are enhanced using parts of plants, usually petals of fragrant flowers. Hua Cha is the direct translation of “scented tea� in Chinese. In China, the northern Chinese are the major consumers of scented tea. The tea complements their foods which are generally spicy. Jasmine tea is a favorite among people in Beijing.
Types of Scented Tea There are three types of Scented Tea and only one of them is the real scented tea. The other two types are GongYi Hua Cha and Hua Cao Cha. 1. GongYi Hua Cha is a craft tea. It is made by combining tea leaves with flowers and then forming the combination into various shapes. Gongyi cha is valued more for its appearance than its flavor and aroma. 2. Hua Cao Cha is not considered a real tea. It is not made with Camellia sinensis leaves. It is an herbal infusion made from fragrant flowers. 3. Real Scented Tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves. And like GongYi Hua Cha, petals of fragrant flowers are used to make it. The scent of the petals is easily absorbed by the tea leaves and it changes not just the aroma, but as well as the overall characteristic of the tea. This change attracts people who particularly do not like the scent of regular tea. Although green tea is the usual base of scented teas, other tea types such as white and oolong are also commonly used as base tea. These teas generally have a subtle scent that goes well with the scent of the petals. Black tea is also used for scented teas, but it can only be scented with a few types of fragrant flowers. The generally rich aroma of black tea does not blend well with other distinct scents. The best scented tea with green tea base is made with baked green tea. Because baked green tea has a mellow scent, the scent of the petals becomes more noticeable.
How Scented Tea Is Made Scented tea is made differently from blended tea. In blended tea, the additive is combined and infused with the tea leaves. In scented tea, the leaves and additives, which are usually flower petals, are pressed together for a certain period of time. This allows the leaves to absorb the scent of the petals. To have a more aromatic
tea, the leaves and petals are pressed together several times. The petals are separated from the leaves once the leaves have absorbed the scent of the petals. A scented tea that has been properly made remains fragrant even after several infusions. Improperly made scented teas, or those that have been scented with artificial additives, are only fragrant on first steep.
Scented Tea: Flavorings Scented tea can be made using several types of natural flavorings such as flowers, peels, herbs, smoke, and spices.
1. Flower Flavorings
Although jasmine is the most popular type of flower used to make scented teas, there are scented teas that are made with other types of flowers. 
Jasmine. Jasmine flowers are very fragrant, and it is why jasmine is a popular tea flavoring. It is commonly used in scented green and oolong teas. Sometimes, some petals are not removed after scenting tea leaves. These petals serve as an ornament in the tea.
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Rose. Rose petals are used in scenting black tea. The rich scent of rose is compatible with the generally powerful scent of black tea. Rose congou is the name of scented black tea in China.
Lotus. Scented tea can be made using the whole lotus flower or just the stamens. If the lotus flower is used, green tea leaves are placed inside the flower and left there overnight. If the stamens are used, they are baked or jarred with the green tea leaves.
Sweet Osmanthus. Sweet osmanthus is also called fragrant olive. To use it as a tea flavoring, its flowers are dried and then compressed with either green or black tea leaves. After the tea leaves have absorbed the scent of the flowers, some flowers are sometimes left with the leaves to serve as an ornament in the steeped tea. Sweet osmanthus scented tea tastes and smells like peach.
Chrysanthemum. Although chrysanthemum flowers are typically made into an herbal tea, they are also used to make scented pu-erh tea. Pu-erh is a type of dark tea.
2. Herbal Flavorings Two herbs that are commonly used to make scented teas are pandan and mint.
Pandan. Pandan or screwpine is abundant in Southeast Asian countries like Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In these countries, pandan is used to scent green and black teas.
Mint. There are several varieties of mint plant. Any of these varieties can be used to make scented green tea. Mint scented green tea is common in Egypt and Western Asia.
3. Other Flavorings
Smoke. There are several types of scented teas that are flavored with smoke. One of the most popular types is Lapsang souchong. It is made from black tea leaves that have been dried in the smoke of burned pine needles. Properly made Lapsang souchong has a subtle smoky scent and flavor.
Roasted Grain. Grains such as rice, barley, and wheat are used to scent teas. One popular grain-scented tea is genmaicha. It is a Japanese tea made from green tea leaves and roasted brown rice.
Citrus Rind. Scented tea with citrus scent and flavor are made with tea leaves and citrus rind.
Spices. Several types of spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, anise, cardamom, and black pepper can be used to make scented tea.
Examples of Scented Tea 1. Snow Drop Jasmine Tea Snow drop jasmine tea is called Bi Tan Piao Xue Tea in China. Some jasmine flowers are included in this tea. The name of snow drop jasmine tea came from resembling snowflakes that have fallen on water. When brewed, the flowers bob up to the top of the water while the green tea leaves remain in the bottom of the tea vessel. Snow drop jasmine tea is a high-quality tea that is available in a limited amount. Only the freshest and finest tea leaves and jasmine flowers are used to make this scented tea. The flavor and scent of jasmine remain even after several infusions. Because of the high quality of snow drop jasmine tea, more tea can be made and enjoyed with just a few amount of this tea.
2. Silver Dragon Jasmine Pearls Silver dragon jasmine pearls tea or Yin Hao Long Zhu is shaped like a pearl, hence its name. It is a green tea made from white tea bush. During the process of making this tea, the stems to which the tea leaves are attached are removed. Because there are no stems, the rolled leaves are small. In early spring, the tea buds are harvested. The buds are plump because they are harvested during spring. Right after harvesting the buds, they are rolled and shaped into pearls. The pearl-shaped buds are then pan-fried to dry. Pan frying allows the leaves to retain their original color. When the tea pearls are already dry, they are mixed with jasmine flowers. The pearls and flowers are separated when the pearls have already absorbed the scent of the flowers. Then, the pearls are dried once again. The mixing with flowers, removing the flowers, and drying are done five times. A new batch of jasmine flowers is used every time.
3. Jasmine Pearls Like silver dragon jasmine pearls tea, Mo Li Long Zhu or jasmine pearls tea is made from white tea bush. Jasmine pearls are bigger than silver dragon jasmine pearls.
In making jasmine pearls, both the leaves and stem are rolled into pearls. Jasmine flowers are mixed with the pearls when the pearls are already dry. When the jasmine scent is absorbed by the pearls, the pearls are separated from the flowers and then dried again. These steps are done two more times.
4. Emperor’s Orchid Also called Wang Zhe Zhi Xiang in China, emperor’s orchid tea is a rare type of tea. One reason of its rarity is the complexity of the process of making it. Production of emperor’s orchid tea is now only done in Sichuan province of China. Emperor’s orchid tea is made from young tea buds that have been harvested in March. The buds and orchids are heated together and then left to cool overnight. Emperor’s orchid tea has a pale green color. The orchid scent is noticeable but not overpowering the natural scent of green tea.
5. White Cloud Jasmine White Cloud Jasmine Scented Tea or Bai Yun Xiang Pian Tea is the most common type of jasmine scented tea. Like most jasmine teas, the base of this tea is green tea. White cloud jasmine tea has a rich jasmine aroma and flavor. Because it is made from natural and fresh ingredients, the aroma and flavor lasts for several infusions.
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