It's time to steep a new leaf 🌺

With Spring 🦋 just around the corner, a change in season is upon us. The sunlight in the morning has a different warmth, birds flit from tree to tree preparing their nests, and the buds are just emerging from their branches.

It is not just nature that feels the change. We here at the shop find ourselves turning to new flavors that celebrate the season. We turn to lighter, fresher staples that help us to bring that sense of renewal and change of nature to the very teas we sip on during a quiet afternoon.

We like to bring a bit of Spring indoors with a pot of one of our flowering teas. Not only are they a feast for the eyes and palette with their vibrant flowers and smooth, mild taste, but they are also truly an event to behold. Each flowering tea "blooms" in the water as they steep -- a visual treat and interesting trick developed by artisans hand-sewing each one.

Flowering teas have been produced in China for centuries. Early flowering teas would have been much simpler than the varieties we know today. Also called "blooming teas" or "blossoming teas," tea producers sew together bundles of as many as twenty leaves around a set of flowers.

While the outer leaves are usually a delicate and vegetal mix of white and green tea leaves, the inside can be a beautiful combination of jasmine, chrysanthemum, amaranth, rose, or hibiscus. Once sewn together, flowering tea are usually wrapped in a cloth to help them hold their spherical shape as they dry.

This unique method of sewing and drying the tea is the secret to their beauty. One flowering tea in a small glass teapot will "bloom" as it steeps, revealing the flowers within. The outer tea leaves gently float back, allowing strings of jasmine, pairs of chrysanthemum, or little pops of amaranth to emerge and delight the senses.

Flowering teas are best enjoyed in a clear glass teapot to get the perfect view of their "blossoming" action. They are great for sharing with a friend as each flowering tea ball is perfect for a 16 oz. pot, and will continue to release its flavor with subsequent infusions. We recommend steeping a flowering tea for 3-5 minutes for each infusion, using water that is just under boiling to preserve the smooth flavor and beauty of the blossom.