Frquently Asked Questions

1. What's Blooming tea?
2. Why our authentic blooming teas are different from others?
3. What kind of health benefits I can get by drinking blooming tea?
4. How can I brew blooming tea?
5. Why my blooming tea can not fully unfold?
6. When refill, why my blooming tea' petals are broken?
7. Why should I use glass tea pot instead of my china tea pot?
8. Why my blooming tea tastes very light?
9. How many times should I infuse for each bloom?
10. Why should I use purified water?
11. How should I store blooming tea?
12. What can I use the bloom for, after drink?
13. Are those flowers edible?
14. Are the silver needle green tea leaves edible?

1. What's Blooming tea?
Blooming tea was invented in late 90s by a Chinese woman in Fu Jian, China. By definition, blooming tea refers to the tea that can bloom like a flower in the water. Our blooming tea is made of top grade silver needle green tea leaves and freshly dried flowers and designed to reflect real beauty of flowers and fashion. It is 100% hand made.

2. Why our authentic blooming teas are different from others'?

• Raw materials used: Our blooming teas are made of top grade silver needle green tea buds and best quality freshly dried flowers. All our flowers are sourced either from origins or from the best domestic vendors for quality control. As for the unauthentic blooming teas, tea leaves usually are low end leaves, more mature or taste bitter, to keep their cost low. Their flowers usually are purchased from local low-end markets, thus the quality is much lower.
• Design. Balanced design in both tastes and display. The amount of tea leaves and flowers are calculated in the perfect proportion, so you taste not only the flavors from tea leaves, but also from flowers. Same principal applies to the aroma. The tea water is very clear, clean, and light in color. The special design enhances the perfect bloom presentation. While for unauthentic blooming teas, usually tea leaves overpower flowers, taste bitter and the tea water has darker color, which has negative impacts on tea display. Some add artificial flavors to cover the lower quality of their teas.
• Manufacturing process: Due to the special requirement of flowers, the whole manufacturing process needs be completed within few hours, once the raw materials are ready. This helps keep both tea leaves and flowers in best quality for display and taste. While the manufacturing process for unauthentic blooming teas takes much longer time, usually a whole day. As a result, the quality is deteriorated. Most of them do not have sanitary control.
• Packaging: our packaging is not only functional but also stylish and elegant! It's a perfect gift for any occasion! Individual blooms are packed in vacuum sealed bag. Each box or tin can even has one bag of desiccant to keep tea fresh and to help improve shelf life.
• Storage: We purchase equipments to store our fabulous teas to keep them fresh. This helps extend teas shelf-life dramatically. We all know this is very costly, but quality is our first priority in our business and we continue to provide the best quality teas to our clients.

3. What kind of health benefits I can get by drinking blooming tea?
Silver Needle Green tea: the top grades silver needle green tea is rich in antioxidants, Vitamins, minerals, L-theanine (amino acid), etc, which helps improve longevity and health. There's a story can prove it: In old times, lots of sailors and marine soldiers died of scurvy after months/years of working in the sea and nobody knows why. But Chinese crews did not have this problem. The reason for that was that Chinese always brought dried green teas with them and green tea is rich in Vitamin C, minerals and fiber. more info...

4. How can I brew blooming tea?
For best taste, we highly recommend spring water or purified water. As for tea pot, we recommend glass tea pot which is about 4” tall with 2” diameter and can hold 12-15 oz water.

Brewing instruction: Boil water until it reaches boiling point. Pour the water into a glass tea pot or appropriate glassware, then drop a bloom. Wait until it fully blooms.

Each blooming tea can be brewed 4-5 times, depends on personal preference.

5. Why my blooming tea can not fully unfold?
Blooming tea requires boiling water, so the water temperature matters! Blooming tea only blooms in boiling water.

6. When refill, why my blooming tea' petals are broken?
To avoid this, you can either lean the tea pot to 70 degree angle or add the hot water evenly from side to side along the glass wall. Please do not pour hot water directly on flower.

7. Why should I use glass tea pot instead of my china tea pot?
For best presentation, we highly recommend glass ware. One of the big fun parts of drinking blooming tea is to see it blooms.

8. Why my blooming tea tastes very light?
First, the tea leaves we use here are the top grade, not even green tea leaves, but tea buds. Second, it's a special tea bush and has less caffeine content (caffeine tastes bitter). This special tea bush tastes slightly sweet, with elegant aroma, if brew properly. Third, the special design of our blooming teas is to reach the balance between the tastes of tea leaves and flower, not just the taste of tea or flower, but the balanced combination.

9. How many times should I infuse for each bloom?
Each bloom is equivalent to two servings from tea leaves perspective, therefore it can be brewed 4-5 times, depends on your own preference.

10. Why should I use purified water?
Water quality is very important in tea brewing. Most tapped water has certain taste, especially after boiling. This can change the taste of tea. We highly recommend purified, or sprint water.

11. How should I store blooming tea?
All teas should be stored in a cool, shady, and dry place. Avoid storing tea with any products that have strong fragrances, because tea can easily absorb any fragrance, thus tea quality will be damaged. Dried tea leaves are very fragile and should always be kept in packaging box/tin can.

12. What can I use the bloom for, after drink?
That's my favorite part!! This proves why our blooming tea has high quality. It can be used in multiple ways even after you drink it.

Few things you can do:

First, you can use the tea leaves to make smoothie. For example, you can use one kiwi and 50% green tea leaves to make a fabulous Kiwi tea smoothie for yourself or friends, even kids, because 1) our top grade silver needle green tea leaves are very tender and edible; 2) after 20 or 30 minutes brewing, most of caffeine in the leaves is gone and the leaves are rich in fiber.

Thousands years ago, fresh tea leaves were consumed as foods, like vegetables, and medicine. Over years, to make tea leaves available throughout the whole year and for storage purposes, people started drying leaves or pressed it to make tea cakes.

Second, you can use it for home décor. After drink, you can put the bloom into a vase filled with cold water. The bloom normally can stay 4 days, if you change water every day.

Third, you can use the tea leaves for cooking.

13. Are those flowers edible?
All flowers we use here are food safe. Some flowers are tender and soft, such as Jasmine flower, English Marigold and Sweet Olive flowers, thus easy to digest. For example, English Marigold was used in salad in old times or to color cheese in Europe. Another good example is Sweet Olive flower. In Southern China, people use it to make bread, pie or cake. However, some flowers, such as Globe Amaranth, are stiff, not easy for us to chew, and we do not recommend eating it.

To avoid confusion, in general, we do not recommend eating flowers.

14. Are the silver needle green tea leaves edible?
Yes.