FRAGRANT JASMINE
“Jasmine is just the most delicate and beautiful scent”
Natalie Portman
It’s difficult to mix up the wonderful scent of jasmine flowers with any other aroma. People have praised the pure beauty and fragrancy of jasmine since ancient times. It’s considered to be native to Himalayas in western China. Nowadays there are about 200 species of this herb that grow in tropical and warm moderate regions of Eurasia, Oceania and Australasia. Jasminum officinale is a flowering plant that belongs to the Oleaceae family. It is usually a deciduous shrub or vine. The leaves are pointed and pinnate, the white fragrant flowers resemble stars. They are about 2.5 cm in diameter, bell-shaped and gathered in cymose clusters. Beautiful jasmine flowers can be used for decorative purposes. Jasmine is also an extremely popular ingredient of tea.
Interesting Jasmine Facts
- In India jasmine is called the “Queen of the night” because its aroma is released at night.
- The fruits of this plant are black berries.
- Jasmine is a national flower of Hawaii, Pakistan, Indonesia and Philippines.
- In China jasmine is a symbol of happiness and feminine beauty.
- The life span of the plant varies from 15 to 20 years.
- Jasmine flowers are usually white but sometimes can be yellow and even reddish.
- Jasmine tea is the most popular flavoured tea in China.
Methods of Use
Jasmine can be utilized in the form of tea, syrup, essential oils, perfumes, cosmetics, tinctures, extracts.
Iced Jasmine-Lemon Tea Recipe
What you need:
- 4 jasmine tea bags
- 1 lemon
- 4 cups of water
- Some ice cubes
- Some honey
- Several mint sprigs to garnish the drink
Take the lemon, remove its zest and make lemon juice. Bring the water to a boil and add tea bags, some zest, lemon juice and a bit of honey. Steep the mixture for around 10-15 minutes. Then cool it in the fridge. Serve the tea with ice cubes and mint sprigs. Enjoy this delicious drink!
