Sometimes when I need to escape and just chill-ax, I make flower tea. I get out my heat-proof glass teapot and mini glass tea cups, put on the kettle, and light the votive candle at the base of the teapot stand. This keeps the tea warm and sets the right mood. As with all tea (loose leaves and tea bags), I perform a quick 5-second rinse to remove any impurities. To do this, I place the tea, or in the case of floral tea, the flower ball, in the pot, then I pour in some hot water, swish it around for a few seconds and strain. One thing to remember is that green teas and floral teas should not be steeped in boiling (100 degrees F.) hot water. Ideally, the water should be between 80 and 90 degrees F…so after I rinse the tea, I wait for a few minutes before filling up the pot. Then I sit back, and watch the flower gracefully unfold before my eyes. The whole blooming process takes about ten minutes.

What starts as a bundle of green tea and flowers hand-tied with thread and pressed into an oval-shaped ball…

…transforms into a gorgeous blossom of green tea leaves with a pink (clover) and two white (jasmine) flowers at the center.

The taste is the perfect balance of green tea with floral undertones. Refreshing and relaxing, it reminds me of the beauty in the world that we have to stop our frenetic lives to appreciate.

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