6 Jasmine Tea Benefits: Calming, Immune Boosting, and More

Jasmine tea is a type of tea that is lightly scented with fresh jasmine blossoms, which impart a delicate floral flavor to the tea. Jasmine tea often has a green tea base, but you can also enjoy white, black, and oolong jasmine-scented teas. We’ll cover some top jasmine tea benefits, how jasmine tea is made, and how to brew up the perfect cup.

Benefits of jasmine tea

Some of the benefits of jasmine tea include aiding calm, improving mental clarity, and boosting your immune system. Jasmine tea contains benefits both from the scent of the aromatic jasmine blossoms as well as from the camellia sinensis tea base. White tea, green tea, and black tea all also contain unique benefits.

1. Calming and relaxing

Tea scented with jasmine has been shown to have a calming, sedative, effect that can help you to relax. Green, white, and black teas also contain L- theanine, unique compound present in tea that can help to reduce anxiety and stress.

2. Improves mental clarity and alertness

Jasmine tea has also been shown to help increase alertness and attention. Black tea, white tea, and green tea also contains a mild to moderate amount of caffeine, which can help to increase energy and boost brain power.

3. Boosts immune system

Green tea can help to boost your immune system and keep you healthy. These teas contain catechins that can ward off illnesses like the flu and the common cold.

4. Reduces inflammation

Black, green, and white teas have also been shown to help reduce inflammation. A soothing cup of jasmine tea can provide relief from temporary aches and pains, as well as chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

5. Aids in digestion

Drinking jasmine tea can also aid in digestion and help soothe stomach troubles. A cup of tea is a great way to help soothe an upset stomach while also staying hydrated.

6. High in antioxidants

All tea made from the camellia sinensis plant is high in antioxidants. Antioxidants work to reduce harmful free radicals in the body and promote cellular health. They can also help to prevent certain types of cancer.

How jasmine tea is made

While some jasmine teas are made by blending jasmine flowers with loose leaf tea, premium jasmine teas are only scented with fresh jasmine blossoms, which adds a floral aroma to the tea. Jasmine teas are known for being especially fragrant, and are often of extremely high quality.

Tea harvested and processed in the spring and early summer is stored until the jasmine flowers are in bloom, usually around mid to late summer. The highest quality jasmine teas are scented by laying a tray of jasmine blossoms underneath a tray of tea leaves overnight, when the jasmine blossoms are at their most fragrant. The blossoms will often be replaced several times over the course of the scenting process. After the tea has been scented, it is dried and packaged.

Jasmine tea may also be scented by blending jasmine blossoms directly with loose leaf tea, then sifting the jasmine blossoms out of the tea. While this also results in a scented floral tea, tea made using this method is usually considered to be of lesser quality.

Jasmine tea history

Jasmine tea is closely associated with the city of Fuzhou in China. Jasmine was introduced to China during the Han dynasty, and was first used to scent tea soon after. The jasmine flower is considered one of the holy flowers in Buddhism, and has religious and cultural significance throughout Asia. Jasmine tea is also closely associated with its medicinal uses, and with a meditative ritual of preparation known as the Gongfu tea ceremony.

Does jasmine tea have caffeine?

The short answer is yes, most jasmine teas have caffeine. However, the caffeine level of these teas varies depending on what kind of tea is used as the base. White tea tends to be low in caffeine, green tea tends to have a moderate amount of caffeine, and black tea tends to be relatively high in caffeine, containing about half as much as a cup of coffee. Even within particular categories of tea, however, it can be hard to predict or measure just how much caffeine will be present in a brewed cup of tea. Caffeine levels are influenced by factors including:

• Tea varietal - Teas produced from the camellia sinensis var. assamica varietal, tend to be higher in caffeine than teas produced from the camellia sinensis var. sinensis varietal.
• When the leaves are harvested - Leaves harvested in the spring, like silver tips teas, tend to be higher in caffeine than teas harvested later in the year. 
• How the leaves are processed - Processing also affects the caffeine level of certain teas. Whole leaf teas that undergo minimal processing may be slightly lower in caffeine than leaves that are broken or cut.
• Amount of tea leaves - The more tea leaves you use when you brew up a cup, the higher the caffeine content will be. While we typically suggest using one teaspoon of tea leaves for every four ounces of water, you can play around with this ratio in order to suit your needs.
• Water temperature - Water temperature also affects the caffeine level present in tea, with tea brewed at hotter water temperatures containing more caffeine than tea brewed at cooler water temperatures. Since black tea tends to be brewed with boiling water, it usually has a higher caffeine level than most other types of tea.
• Steep time - Steep time is another important factor when it comes to caffeine level. The longer you steep your tea, the higher the caffeine content will be. Black teas tend to be brewed for longer, while green teas tend to be brewed for only a short period of time.

If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you should be sure to enjoy caffeinated jasmine teas in the morning, and take it slow and see how you react to the caffeine present in the tea.

How to make jasmine tea

The right way to prepare jasmine tea depends on what kind of tea is being used as the base. White tea, green tea, and black tea all have different preparation instructions in order to brew up a tasty cup of tea. 

Infusing Jasmine green tea

To prepare jasmine green teas like Jasmine Pearls or Silver Bud Jasmine Blossom use one teaspoon for every four ounces of water in your pot or cup. Heat water until it is steaming but not boiling (about 175 to 180 degrees.) Infuse the tea leaves for one to two minutes, then enjoy! Be careful not to oversteep, as green tea can become bitter when brewed too long.