HOW TO MAKE BLOOMING TEAS AT HOME

Hi there, everyone! I hope you all had a relaxing Sunday wherever you are. As the world starts to slowly open up, we start to associate work with Mondays again and not just another day off. And we know that can be a stressful and worrisome task right now. Below is a quick and nourishing tutorial on how to make blooming teas at home: a soothing task that can ease the transition back to a far-from-normal work week. Never forget to practice some self-care to help you better tackle the day ahead, whether that be yoga, meditation, or drinking a warm cup of beautiful tea. 

As mentioned in a previous post, the craft of the blooming tea is an art dating back from China hundreds of years ago. It consists of a combination of tea leaves and whole blooms that are wrapped and tied into different shapes and designs. The flowers are usually marigolds, lilies, jasmine, or chrysanthemum, to name a few. Because of their intricate design and beauty, they are best enjoyed in a big, clear glass of hot water, where you can see the blooming occur. 

The process of making blooming tea: 

1. Tea leaves 

Tea leaves are essentially garnishes that hug the center flower, while also adding extra flavor and benefits to the brew. Typically, the particularly tea leaves used are ones used for the production of green tea. Look for these if you want to recreate a traditional blooming tea. 

2. Whole flowers

Whole flowers provide the foundation and center of the bloom. You can pick fresh whole flowers or get them from your local market. When you have curated a few, they should be dehydrated (by natural air if you do not have a dehydrator). If you want to be specific, make sure to take note of picking time and the integrity of the bud, as this will produce the best results. 

3. Binding

Once you have your ingredients picked and their quality ensured, you can begin binding your green tea leaves by themselves. Once the bottom is fully bind, you can add the fully dried flower to the middle, bring the green tea leaves to meet at the top around it, and finally sew up the top. Your finished product should look like small balls of dried green tea leaves and full flower buds. 

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Tips for getting started and perfecting the skill:

• Trying it the first time can be therapeutic, but you may not receive the results you want right away. 
• Professionals usually needle the bottom of the flowers, then sew together the flower and green tea leaves, before fancying and straightening them out afterwards. 
• Shapes and designs are determined by different sewing methods. A great tutorial that helped me get started can be found here. 
• Make sure to re-dry the blooming tea bundle again once you are finished.

* All images credited to rightful owners.