Blooming Heart Display Tea
There’s a fancy tea party underway to benefit ovarian cancer research over at Foodbuzz. My talented blogger friends are busy preparing darling tea sandwiches and baking scones, crumpets, precious little cakes. So I decided to brew the tea! But not just any tea – an enchanting display tea where heart-shaped white tea leaves gently open into a blossom centered with pink amaranth and orange lily, crowned by a single perfect multi-petaled jasmine flower. A heady tea worthy of my friends’ flair and baking expertise.
The gold-tinged elixir has a subtle jasmine scent and intoxicating honey- floral flavor.
White tea is a lightly oxidized tea grown and harvested almost exclusively in China. It comes from the delicate buds and younger leaves of the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. The buds and leaves are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are lightly processed to prevent oxidation or further fermentation.
These magical ‘display teas’ unfurl when added to hot water, revealing delicate flowers hidden within. The practice of hand-sewing leaves into ‘blooming teas’ is an age-old Chinese art form. Each tea bloom is individually hand-crafted. Premium whole tea leaves are gathered around various colorful flowers and painstakingly hand-tied by tea artisans. They are then wrapped in cotton cloth and dried into their individual shapes.
The pot can be refilled several times at one sitting.
Boil water in a separate tea kettle and let stand for just a few seconds. Place 1 or 2 tea blooms into a clear tea pot and add the hot water. The tea leaves and flower blooms will open in approximately 3-7 minutes. Gently refill the pot with hot water to make many more ounces of tea. It won’t become bitter from over-steeping, even after several hours of infusion.
Speaking of blooming. I harvested these gorgeous blooms from my garden this morning. The rosy-red Kramer’s Supreme Camellia blooms profusely here from January through April.
And I am delighted to showcase my first rose of the season – this yellow beauty is Gold Medal Grandiflora.
Tea Fairy
Electrolux and Kelly Ripa are proud supporters of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund whose mission is to fund research to find a method of early detection and ultimately a cure for Ovarian Cancer. Electrolux has committed to donate $750,000 to this worthy cause. On Kelly Confidential, you can select a perfect tea party outfit for Kelly’s Tea Party for a Cause. When you do, Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
Foodbuzz and Electrolux are partnering to host a Top 9 Tea Party Takeover on Friday, March 25th. Foodbuzz will also donate $50 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund for every tea party recipe created by a Featured Publisher.
It is particularly apropos that Kelly chose a Tea Party for her fundraiser considering all the health benefits of tea! Please stop by Foodbuzz on March 25th to sample all the goodies at the virtual Tea Party here, and head over to Kelly Confidential through May 17th – with just a few clicks of your mouse, Electrolux will make a donation in honor of your participation.
what a great idea. i love it. i wish i would have known about it in time to try to participate! i love your floral teas, too! just beautiful!
That is just gorgeous tea! I love your idea, and so far you are the only one I’ve seen with an actual tea recipe! lol! Love it!!!
Love, love your tea display. I have always been curious about tea blooms, and these ones are so pretty. Can’t help but notice that most of us brought out ‘the good china’ for this great fundraiser!
I have some blooming tea in my cupboard as we speak. My daughter and I gave ot to each other in our stocking one year for Christmas. I have been waiting to find a gorgoeus glass teapot for best effect but I never thought to just serve it in a special glass.
Hi Val – you can serve the blooming tea in a large wine goblet, it looks very pretty, but the glass is too hot to hold. The best way is to brew in a glass teapot and pour into a teacup. I hope you post a photo, would love to see your bloom!
LL
nice photos! Those tea displays look gorgeous!
Your Jena glass teapot is the perfect vessel for flowering tea!
Tea parties (except political ones) must be the prettiest things on earth. Love the flowering tea bursting with goodness. Jealous of the flowers. We just had a snowstorm.
I love these blooming teas and save them for special occasions. The one in the wine glass looks perfect!
Hi Lori-Thank you so much for leaving such a kind comment on my blog. I appreciate so much that you and others have participated in this tremendous cause for the Kelly Confidential, and of course Foodbuzz, as well.
It means so much to so many people that have been affected personally as I have, losing my mom to ovarian cancer.
Your tea service and the amazing special tea is absolutely “breathtaking” and oh, so lovely!
Your pretty flowers really accentuate the whole scene.
I am your newest, happy follower now:D
beautiful and lovely spring tea party
Beautiful post and tea party…I have some of these lovely teas and a glass pot as well, they are gorgeous! Love the way you placed the tea blossom in the glass 🙂
These blooming floral teas are just beautiful – I’ve never seen anything like this, very neat!
What an incredible table you’ve set. I’d love to have tea with you!
Beautiful tea, beautiful photos for a wonderful cause. I’m now following your blog. Your recipes look wonderful.
Regards, Mari
http://www.mariscamera.blogspot.com/
Absolutely beautiful and served in the perfect teapot!
I have one of these teapots, my mom gave it to me as a gift a while back. I love it so much, and some of my favorite flavors have come from them.
how stunning!!! thanks for the info,
sweetlife
Beautiful post! I use these teas. Love them! Get idea using them for the tea party.