Good morning, dear tea friends! My morning tea today is an infusion from the Camellia Sinensis plant, however, it is not from its leaf but from its beautiful white flower.

Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen

These tea flowers are from Nepal, plucked from tea bushes in full bloom and then sun dried. The blooms turn yellow as they dry.

I steeped the dried flowers for 8 minutes in boiling point (212F) water. As I lifted the infuser from my glass teapot, I was greeted by the scent of honey and flowers.

The golden liquor tastes quite sweet with notes of buttered corn and honey. I also detected faint nuances of caramel and citrus fruit.

Tea flowers do contain caffeine, about 1/4 of what is found in the leaf, making them a perfect choice for caffeine sensitive tea lovers. The infusion is full of flavor yet mellow and soothing, a great before bedtime beverage.

I’m loving that blue sky reflection in my teabowl. We got another 20 inches of snow dumped on us yesterday but spring is right around the corner (we hope!) and the melting has already started.

If you ever get a chance to try a cup of infused tea flowers, I highly recommend it. Have a great week!

“Arthur blinked at the screens and felt he was missing something important. Suddenly he realized what it was.

“Is there any tea on this spaceship?” he asked.”

~Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy