We have created an authentic Jasmine tea using naturally cultivated white tea from ethnic minorities.
A Unique Tea in the World
This tea is made from white tea harvested from old trees located at an altitude of about 2000m in the southwestern part of Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar border, and processed into Jasmine tea in Guangxi Region.
This tea is made from fully naturally cultivated tea. As it grows without fertilizers or pesticides, the yield per tree is about a quarter compared to general tea gardens, and it grows slowly over time, resulting in very small cells and rich polyphenol content, creating a very rich flavor and aroma. This is not because polyphenols themselves create the aroma. Tea rich in polyphenols is tea that has grown slowly, and such tea also contains more terpene glycosides, the precursors of the floral and fruity aroma compounds called terpenes.
Jasmine tea is generally made using green tea as a base.
The reason is that green tea has a gentle aroma, allowing the jasmine scent to stand out when mixed. On the other hand, it is very rare for white tea to be used as a base tea for jasmine tea.
This is because white tea has a distinctive floral aroma that may overshadow the jasmine scent, and also because white tea from Fujian Province is very expensive, making it uncommon to use as a base for jasmine tea.
The Gushu Yizhen used as the base for this tea has a strong white tea aroma, but thanks to its deep richness, it harmonizes ideally with the jasmine scent, resulting in a jasmine tea that is unlike any other.
The collaboration of the good qualities of white tea and the sweet jasmine aroma creates a refreshing, sweet scent reminiscent of citrus fruits. The deep richness that spreads not only to the back of the throat but also deep into the chest showcases the quality of naturally cultivated tea.
With almost no bitterness and a very sweet aftertaste, it is a tea that both children and jasmine tea lovers and non-lovers alike will enjoy. This tea is also delicious when brewed cold.
The appearance of the tea leaves may not be as beautiful as the Gushu Yizhen used as the base, due to the long scenting process, but once you take a sip, you will be impressed in many ways.
The Background of Jasmine Silver Needle
One of HOJO's popular products is Gushu Yizhen.
This tea is made from fully naturally cultivated tea and has a deep richness that spreads smoothly in the throat.
When I visited the production area in Yunnan Province in April to purchase this tea, the thought crossed my mind, "It would be great to make jasmine tea using this tea."
Once I started thinking that, I couldn't stop, so I made a quick decision and purchased a large quantity of Gushu Yizhen for jasmine tea processing. The reason for the "large quantity" is that there is a minimum amount of tea leaves required to make jasmine tea due to the characteristics of the dryer, and it is not possible to make custom-ordered jasmine tea with too small an amount.
The tea leaves of Gushu Yizhen before processing
Traditional Naturally Cultivated Tea by Ethnic Minorities
Gushu Yizhen is a tea made by ethnic minorities in the western part of Lincang, Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar border.
As emphasized from the beginning, this tea is made from completely fertilizer-free and pesticide-free tea. Although it is called natural cultivation, it is not a special effort, but it is managed in the same way as it was 1000 years ago.
For ethnic minorities in Yunnan Province, the tea trees are originally left in the mountains, and they only mow the grass once or twice a year.
Just like gathering wild vegetable buds in spring, the tea trees grow extremely slowly, resulting in very rich and mineral-rich tea like wild vegetables.
Scenting with Fresh Jasmine Flowers for 6 Nights
Although the tea was purchased in spring, jasmine flowers reach their peak season in August-September, so we decided the timing of the scenting based on the condition and market price of the flowers.
The scenting process took 6 nights. The jasmine flowers are harvested in bud form and mixed with the tea leaves in the evening.
At night, the flowers bloom, and the jasmine scent is absorbed by the tea leaves. In the morning, the flowers are removed, and the tea leaves are dried before being mixed with fresh flowers again. This process is repeated 6 times, or for 6 nights.
