Jasmine has a way of taking over a room before the cup even reaches your mouth, and Chung Hao earns that reputation honestly. This is a green tea worked over with fresh jasmine blossoms, picked in the summer months just before they open for the evening and layered into trays with the tea leaves so the two can infuse together — a scenting process repeated several times over with this particular tea to build depth in the aroma. Once the scent has taken, the spent blossoms are removed by hand, leaving only leaf behind. The result carries a floral, honeyed sweetness with a note of lemon and jasmine running through it, and enough thickness on the palate to keep it from tasting thin despite the delicacy of the process. In the cup it runs a bright, yellowy gold.
It comes from Fujian Province, and the story goes that Chung Hao in particular was once kept for the Chinese Imperial Court rather than sold openly, which says something about how exacting the scenting process is meant to be. Brew it with water cooled to 75-80°C and give it around three minutes to steep. A little lemon suits the floral character if you want to sharpen it, or honey if you're after something rounder and sweeter. It also holds its own alongside a Chinese banquet, standing up to richer food without getting lost. Tea of this style has long been drunk for its digestive and immune-supporting qualities, and jasmine tea in general is often credited with antioxidant properties, though those are traditional associations rather than settled claims.
