note that this post was previously published on September 28th, 2012
Chinese name: 茉莉龙珠绿茶 (mo li long zhu lu cha)
Other names: Jasmine Pearls, Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls
Origin: Fujian, China
Type: Scented green tea
Steeping Tips: Use 1 tablespoon of leaf per 8 oz of water and steep in 180 degree Fahrenheit water for 3-4 minutes. Steep at least 3 times.
Teaware: Glass teapot, so that you can see the pearls open in the water.
Taste: Sweet, round and heady with jasmine aroma. The base notes of green tea come through to make a perfectly balanced whole.
Try: Rishi Tea and The Republic of Tea who have both won awards at the North American Tea Championships for their jasmine dragon pearl teas.
What is Jasmine Dragon Pearl Tea?
The tea mountains of Northern Fujian are home to the da bai (big white) cultivar of tea bush. This produces soft, downy buds that are picked in early spring to make green tea and are then hand-rolled into “pearls.”
The tea is kept in cold storage until July when jasmine flowers bloom. Fresh blossoms are picked at night when they are fully open and fragrant. They are then placed on the tea and mixed for 12 hours to infuse the pearls with their scent. Fresh flowers are picked to repeat the suffusion process up to ten times.
Origin
Jasmine originates from Iran, but it is believed that the flower was bought to China along the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty, more than 1700 years ago. The history of scenting tea with jasmine is believed to have started during the South-Song Dynasty (c. 1240) and by the Ming Dynasty (c. 1368) the technique of scenting tea had been recorded in books, showing its popularity.
The Legend
If Chinese mythology is to be believed, a real dragon played a part in creating this tea.
One winter a young boy in a village near Fuzhou, Fujian province got seriously sick and no treatment seemed to help him. His sister heard about a mystical dragon that could help people in need, and in the depths of desperation, she decided to find the dragon to ask for aid.
She trekked through the mountains until she reached a cave that was surrounded by fragrant jasmine bushes. Within the cave she found the mystical dragon and begged him for help. In response the dragon soared into the sky where a beautiful pearl grew on his chest. From this pearl a tiny drop of water emerged and fell to the ground where a tree bush sprouted instantaneously.
The girl stood in disbelief whilst the dragon told her to take care of the bush as it would save her brother’s life. It rained continually but the girl looked after the bush and never left its side. Small leaves began to grow on the bush and the girl picked them and dried them next to the jasmine flowers. She then rolled the leaves to make pearls, like the one that hung around the neck of a dragon. Returning home, she brewed tea from these leaves and their house was filled with the aroma of jasmine. Having tasted the miraculous drink, her brother quickly recovered, and jasmine pearls have been made ever since.
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