Chinese history is ripe with evidence of the ancient uses of tea. It is an art to serve and a craft to prepare. Blooming tea, the latest trend in tea drinking, is also often accredited to the Chinese due to its use of green tea leaves and the artistic manner in which it is created.

Also called GongYi Hua Cha, which means “art flower tea”, blooming tea is also called hand-tied tea, art-teas or blossoming tea. The way in which the tea acts and develops explains these many names. One look at the flower in the cup says a thousand words.

A blossoming tea is made up of a handful of tea leaves and flower blossoms tied together with a cotton string. The bundle is dried and shipped or transported to its destination. Once unpacked from its satchet, the tightly bound bundle is put in a pot or cup and hot water is poured overtop. As the water is absorbed, the tea leaves fill out again, unfurling like a blossom and often exposing a delicate flower within.

Several different types of flowers may be used in a blossoming tea. These might include marigolds and hibiscus, carnations and roses, or exotic flowers like jasmine and mountain tea blossoms. Chrysanthemums and globe amaranth are also used.

Blossoming tea is more fragrant than other teas. Besides being tied up with green leaves, it is also less bitter when further steeping occurs. It should also be served in a clear pot or glass so that guests can see the unfurling of the blossom.

Green teaand tea in general have been used in China for many things over the centuries. Tea figures prominently in Chinese cuisine and traditional medicines. The history of tea also dates back in Chinese times to the tenth century B. C. And it’s in China that the first book for preparing tea and buying tea was written.

The tea ceremony also has a very ancient history. The way in which tea is prepared, served and handled can be almost religious seeming to some people. The tea cultures of the world owe their origins to the Chinese tea ceremony.

The sharing and serving of tea to others is a traditional practice. It is also very formal. People of the lower classes served tea to their superiors, and the young often bought and served tea to their elders. Serving tea to parents is also sometimes still done in a wedding ceremony by the bride and groom, a way of saying thank you for raising us well. And in other cases, the serving of tea is synonymous with serving an apology for a wrong one has done to another. The blooming tea that is today very fashionable still has many important purposes, as it is quickly replacing traditional flower bouquets as a gift for special occasions.

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