Jasmine Dragon Pearl, China

Making traditional jasmine tea is a true labour of love. For fine quality teas such as this, the lengthy process has changed little over hundreds of years. Our Dragon Pearl begins as a single-estate green tea from Bailin village in Fuding, Fujian province. Known as Fuding Da Bai, this delicate tea is harvested in the early spring when the local bushes produce their finest, freshest leaves. The leaves are withered and hand-rolled before being gently dried. Each pea-sized pearl is a miniature work of art, its silvery bud skilfully wrapped around the rolled leaf. But this is just the first step…

In the late summer the dried tea is transported to Hengxian, Guangxi province, to an award-winning jasmine tea master with 34 years' experience. At this point the local Arabian jasmine plants are in full bloom and their flowers are at their fragrant best. Mr Huang mixes fresh jasmine buds through the tea. Then, as the humidity rises overnight, the buds open and infuse the pearls with their distinctive perfume. This is repeated over the next five nights, with the flowers sifted out and the tea re-dried each morning.