Hengxian Jasmine Tea

Hengxian Jasmine Tea

Hengxian jasmine tea is a geographical indication protected product.

Hengxian jasmine tea is a geographical indication certified trademark.

　　Hengxian is China’s largest jasmine production base and has been named the “Hometown of Jasmine in China” by the State Forestry Administration and the China Flower Association. Hengxian jasmine tea is world-renowned, combining the flavor of tea leaves with the fragrance of fresh flowers. Drinking jasmine tea is like appreciating a piece of tea artistry. In July 2006, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for Hengxian jasmine.

　　Hengxian jasmine is world-renowned, and jasmine tea combines the flavor of tea leaves with the fragrance of fresh flowers. Drinking jasmine tea is like appreciating a piece of tea artistry.

　　Hengxian’s jasmine production accounts for over 70% of the national flower tea output and more than 50% of the global total, making it the country’s largest jasmine production base, flower tea processing hub, and the largest wholesale and trading center for flower tea in China. The base is equipped with a jasmine tea testing center, which is the second most technologically advanced in the world after the United States. It can significantly improve the quality of jasmine tea products, providing a scientific and reliable technical platform and support for creating Chinese famous-brand products, geographical indication products, and premium products. It also allows for expanded production scale and improvements to traditional Hengxian jasmine tea production techniques.

　　[Introduction to Jasmine Tea]

　　Jasmine tea is a renowned scented tea. It is made by scenting tea leaves with jasmine flowers, hence the name. As one of many floral teas, jasmine tea is produced by scenting unopened jasmine blossoms into green tea. Depending on the type of green tea used as the base—such as Longjing—scented with jasmine, it is called Longjing Jasmine Tea; if scented with roses, it becomes Longjing Rose Tea, and so on. Jasmine tea enjoys the reputation of "bringing the scent of spring to Chinese floral teas."

　　[The Art of Floral Tea]

　　The scenting process of floral tea is highly refined. There are practices such as three infusions and one extraction, five infusions and one extraction, or seven infusions and one extraction. This means that for a batch of green tea, three to seven batches of fresh flowers are used to allow the tea to fully absorb the floral fragrance. After the tea absorbs the scent, the spent flower waste is sifted out. Therefore, high-quality floral tea retains fragrance even after multiple brews. Premium floral teas usually contain little or no visible petals, at most using a small amount for decoration, whereas lower-grade floral teas may either skip the scenting process or undergo fewer infusions, then mix in spent flower waste that has already been used for scenting, misleading consumers into thinking it's high quality. These teas may look flower-filled but lose their fragrance after just one or two infusions.

　　[Tips for Choosing]

　　When selecting jasmine tea, first observe its appearance. Special-grade jasmine tea usually uses tender raw materials, often consisting of one bud and one leaf, one bud and two leaves, or mostly tender buds with visible fuzz. Special and first-grade teas use relatively tender materials with tight strips and slightly visible fuzz. Second and third-grade teas have slightly less tender materials, generally with minimal fuzz. Fourth and fifth-grade teas are lower-grade, using less tender materials with loose, large strips and often containing stems.

　　When possible, try brewing the tea to fully evaluate its quality. The cup-brewing method is commonly used, typically involving two infusions. For the first, take 3 grams of tea, steep with about 150 ml of hot water for 3 minutes, then filter the liquor to observe aroma, color, and taste. For the second infusion, steep for 5 minutes before filtering and evaluating again.

　　[Benefits of Jasmine Tea]

　　According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, jasmine has the effects of “regulating qi, relieving depression, dispelling foulness, and harmonizing the middle,” and offers excellent anti-inflammatory and detoxifying benefits for dysentery, abdominal pain, conjunctivitis, and boils. Regular consumption of jasmine tea can clear liver heat, improve vision, promote saliva production, relieve thirst, expel phlegm, treat dysentery, aid digestion and diuresis, dispel wind and relieve surface symptoms, treat fistulas, strengthen teeth, boost energy, lower blood pressure, strengthen the heart, prevent tooth decay and radiation damage, fight cancer, delay aging, and promote longevity and overall well-being.

　　Jasmine tea enjoys the reputation of "bringing the scent of spring to Chinese floral teas." It is made from specially processed or refined green tea leaves scented with fresh jasmine blossoms. Within the tea classification system, jasmine tea still falls under the category of green tea. It is processed based on green tea, and especially premium jasmine tea undergoes certain physicochemical changes during production—for example, the decomposition of polyphenols and tea tannins in a moist environment, and the breakdown of water-insoluble proteins into amino acids, which reduce the astringency typical of green tea and alter its function. Its flavor becomes rich, mellow, and more palatable, which is one reason why people in northern China love jasmine tea. While all types of tea share similar health benefits, each has unique characteristics. In addition to possessing some properties of green tea, jasmine tea also provides several health benefits not found in regular green tea. Known for “dispelling cold pathogens and aiding emotional regulation,” it is an excellent tea choice in spring.

　　According to research in Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern pharmacology on the health benefits of tea, tea is bitter and sweet in flavor, cool in nature, and associated with the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney meridians. The bitterness of tea helps purge, eliminate dryness, reduce internal heat, and clear fire; its sweetness nourishes and soothes; and its cool nature clears heat, purges fire, and relieves surface symptoms. Tea contains numerous compounds beneficial to human health, such as catechins, vitamins C and A, caffeine, flavanols, and tea polyphenols. Jasmine tea also contains over 20 compounds including aromatic oils, geraniol, linalool, and eugenol esters. Due to the unique adsorption properties of tea leaves and the fragrance-emitting characteristics of jasmine, the jasmine tea produced through a series of processing and scenting steps retains the rich and refreshing natural taste of green tea while being infused with the fresh, lively fragrance of jasmine. As a result, it is considered one of the best natural health beverages in China and around the world today.

　　Geographic Scope

　　　Seven towns in Hengxian, Guangxi: Hengzhou, Nanyang, Yunbiao, Maoling, Xiaoyi, Liantang, and Baihe.

　　Distinctive Qualities

　　　　Hengxian’s jasmine features early flowering, long blooming periods, large flower buds, high yield, superior quality, and strong fragrance. Hengxian has a subtropical monsoon climate with abundant rainfall, ample sunshine, and high organic matter content in the soil, making it highly suitable for jasmine cultivation.

　　Cultural Stories

　　　　The documented history of jasmine cultivation in Hengxian spans over 400 years. In 1566, Wang Ji, a local official in Hengzhou, wrote in his book A Daily Mirror from the Gentleman’s Hall: “Jasmine is abundant in Hengxian, with some used to weave fences—it blooms all year round.” The Ming Dynasty edition of the Hengzhou Annals · Local Products contains similar records. A poem by Ming Dynasty poet Chen Kui reads: “Exotic seeds brought here deserve praise; who loves fragrance alone tilts their cloud-like hair? In quiet rooms, a few fragrant blooms subtly spread, stirring poetic thoughts like blooming flowers.” This refers to jasmine blossoms.

　　Quality and Technical Requirements for Hengxian Jasmine Tea

　　I. Raw Materials

　　1. Base Tea: Comes from primary and refined green tea produced within the designated origin area; when local supply is insufficient, external sourcing may be used as a supplement.

　　2. Jasmine: Hengxian jasmine protected by geographical indication.

　　II. Cultivation of Base Tea

　　1. Varieties: Suitable tea cultivars for making Hengxian jasmine tea bases include Hengxian group variety, Shuiling No.1, Fuyun No.6, Fuyun No.595, Yunnan large-leaf variety, Nanshan white-haired tea, and Fuding Dabaihao.

　　2. Site conditions: The soil within the production area should be loose and gravelly, classified as loam or sandy loam, with some parts being alluvial soil from the Yu River. Soil depth must be ≥39 cm, pH value between 4.0 and 6.5, organic matter content ≥1.5%, altitude ≥100 m, and with good irrigation and drainage conditions.

　　3. Cultivation management:

　　(1) Propagation: Use asexual propagation with high-quality cuttings or seedlings of pure varieties.

　　(2) Planting time: Annually in spring or autumn.

　　(3) Planting density: 3,800 to 5,000 plants per 667㎡ (mu).

　　(4) Fertilization management: Organic fertilizer ≥1,500 kg per 667㎡ (mu), chemical fertilizer ≤50 kg per 667㎡ (mu).

　　(5) Pest and disease control: Based on agricultural measures, integrated with physical and biological control methods.

　　(6) Pruning: Tea tree pruning methods include shaping prune, light prune, heavy prune, severe prune, and coppicing, selected according to the tree age, growth condition, and pruning purpose.

　　(7) Harvesting: Based on the growth characteristics of the tea trees and the raw material requirements for finished tea, harvest at the right time according to standards. Use the hand-picking method; picking specifications require single buds, one bud with one leaf, one bud with two leaves, and fresh leaves of equivalent tenderness. Ensure buds and leaves are intact, fresh, uniform, and clean—free from scales, tea fruits, or old branches and leaves.

　　(8) Environmental and safety requirements: The use of pesticides, fertilizers, etc., must comply with national regulations, and must not cause environmental pollution.

　　III. Primary and refined processing of tea bases

　　1. Primary processing of roasted green rough tea:

　　(1) Fresh leaves: According to product standard requirements, pick single buds, one bud with one leaf, one bud with two leaves, and fresh leaves of equivalent tenderness, avoiding damage to the leaves or scorching during fixation.

　　(2) Fixation: Wok temperature should be "high first, then low," reaching 150–200°C. Stir-frying methods mainly include smothering stir-fry and tossing stir-fry. Fixation degree should be thorough, even, and fully done—"old leaves lightly fixed, young leaves firmly fixed." Moisture content of fixed leaves is about 60–70%.

　　(3) Rolling: "Old leaves hot rolled, young leaves cold rolled." The pressing duration follows a 2:3:1 ratio for light, heavy, and light phases. After rolling, over 90% of fresh leaves should form strips, with cell breakage rate between 45–55%.

　　(4) Drying: Use both machine drying and manual basket drying. The process includes preliminary drying → cooling → final drying. Preliminary drying requires high temperature and thin spreading; final drying requires low temperature and thick spreading. Moisture content of dried rough tea after drying should be ≤7.0%.

　　2. Refined processing of roasted green rough tea:

　　(1) Selection and blending of rough tea materials: Steps include selecting rough tea → tea evaluation → trial sample production.

　　(2) Screening: Separate tea base specifications using various mesh sizes.

　　(3) Cutting: Adjust the shape of the tea leaves to meet certain specification standards.

　　(4) Winnowing: Separate different grades of tea using air separation.

　　(5) Picking: Remove stems, veins, broken leaves, and other foreign matter from the tea.

　　(6) Drying: Ensure refined products meet moisture content standards and enhance quality.

　　(7) Blending: Combine various grades of tea evenly according to appearance, quality, and other requirements.

　　IV. Quality requirements for purchased raw tea materials

　　According to product grade requirements, use fresh leaves such as single buds, one bud with one leaf, one bud with two leaves, and leaves of equivalent tenderness. After primary and refined processing, these should be suitable for making Hengxian jasmine tea. The moisture content should be controlled below 7%.

　　V. Processing technology requirements

　　1. "Hengxian jasmine" fresh flowers picked must be scented within 5 to 10 hours.

　　2. Processing steps: Tea base preparation → fresh flower maintenance → tea-flower blending → stacking for scenting → airing and continued scenting → flower removal → drying → topping → sieving → blending and packing.

　　3. Craftsmanship Requirements:

　　(1) Tea Base Processing: The tea base must undergo drying before scenting. The drying temperature should be between 100 and 110°C, with moisture content controlled below 5%. After drying, the tea should be promptly spread out to cool.

　　(2) Fresh Flower Maintenance: Fresh jasmine flowers picked on the same day from Hengxian are stored in ventilated baskets or mesh bags and brought into the factory for maintenance on the same day. A shaking sieve machine is used to remove unopened buds, flower stems, and undeveloped flowers. If the ambient temperature is below 30°C, the flower piles should be stacked higher to increase the temperature, with a stacking height of 20 to 30 cm. When the flower pile temperature reaches 38 to 43°C (not exceeding 45°C), the flowers should be raked out and spread thin to reduce the temperature, allowing them to cool and absorb fresh air. Once the flower blooming rate reaches over 80%, they can be used for scenting.

　　(3) Tea-Flower Mixing: The green tea to be scented is evenly spread on the scenting floor. The tea-flower mixing follows specific flower ratios: fresh flowers/tea (35–80 kg / 100 kg), pile temperature: 38 to 48°C, scenting pile thickness: 35 to 55 cm, and time ≤ 1.5 hours.

　　(4) Pile Scenting: The height of the scenting pile depends on the climate, ambient temperature, venue, and amount of flowers used. The pile thickness is 35 to 55 cm, and when the pile temperature reaches 45 to 48°C (for the first scenting), it is aerated. The scenting duration is 9 to 14 hours before the flowers are removed. Specific control is adjusted according to the quality requirements of the finished tea, which may involve one scenting and one boosting, up to a maximum of nine scentings and one boosting.

　　(5) Aeration and Continued Scenting: When the pile temperature reaches 38 to 48°C (depending on the scenting round and flower ratio), and after 5 to 6 hours, the pile is aerated. When the temperature of the spread-out pile cools to room temperature, the flowers are re-piled for renewed scenting. The pile height is 25 to 35 cm, and scenting continues for another 5 to 6 hours. When the tea pile temperature reaches around 36°C, the flowers are removed.

　　(6) Flower Removal: After 9 to 14 hours of scenting, the flowers must be immediately removed, and the tea is sieved to separate it from the floral waste.

　　(7) Drying: The drying temperature is between 100 and 130°C, and moisture content is adjusted based on requirements for further scenting, boosting, or packaging. To preserve the fresh and intense aroma of Hengxian jasmine tea, the dried tea is spread out to cool. The maximum temperature of the cooled tea pile should be ≤ 40°C.

　　(8) Boosting: This process is similar to the pile scenting procedure. Boosting requires the use of large, plump, fully mature Hengxian jasmine flowers with a delicate and elegant fragrance. The flower ratio is 8 to 12%, and the duration is 6 to 8 hours.

　　(9) Sieving: After boosting, Hengxian jasmine tea is typically sieved to separate the tea from dried floral remnants. A 5 to 7-mesh sieve is used to remove the flowers while keeping the tea, to avoid affecting the tea’s flavor.

　　(10) Blending, Packing into Cases or Bags: After flower removal, samples should be tested promptly. Once quality and technical standards are met, the tea is blended and packed into cases or bags.

　　VI. Quality Characteristics

　　1. Sensory Characteristics.

　　Item

　　Characteristics

　　Appearance

　　Fairly tightly rolled, with tender tips, fairly uniform, and some tender stems

　　Aroma

　　Fairly fresh and strong, pure

　　Liquor Color

　　Yellowish green and bright

　　Taste

　　Fresh, mellow, and authentic

　　Leaf Bottom

　　Soft, yellowish green

　　 2. Physicochemical Indicators.

　　Item

　　Indicator

　　Moisture Content (%)       ≤

　　8.5

　　Tea Polyphenols (%)      ≥

　　19.0

　　Water Extractables (%)   ≥

　　36.0

　　Crude Fiber (%)      ≤

　　16.0

　　Flower Content (%)      ≤

　　1.0

　　3. Safety and Other Quality Technical Requirements: The product’s safety and other quality technical requirements must comply with relevant national regulations.