Blue Spider

Vietnamese teas are produced in many areas of the region and in the country itself, many of the area tea retreats host wonderful views of either the teaming villages or city streets or intoxicating natural beauty from nearby rivers or forested mountains. Places that boast ancient Ruong houses built at the end of the 18th century and some modern structures geared specifically for western tastes but with Asian elegance. Asian Tea Review has some good copy of other regional teas that compliment this article.

It is in these locals that you will find a Vietnamese favorite, Jasmine tea. This beverage is typically used as both a restive social drink and as a palate cleanser. It is over deep discussions of poetry, philosophy, conceptual understanding or business that this drink is shared between business peers, foreign guests and potential partners.

Another use is after a strong cup of coffee, it is used to cleanse the palate and lighten the mood of Vietnamese iced coffee (which is typically much stronger than the western counterparts), and is poured into the glass after the coffee is consumed, allowed to chill. This is commonly shared with conversation at local coffee shops that are a popular social rendezvous on hot evenings.

Jasmine tea is produced in two grades but you must understand that each country grades teas differently and that there is no ‘international standard’. This being said, it is safe to presume that if a country is producing poor tea, the market will tell them. Some examples of how different countries might grade teas are based in the type of tea. And considering that Jasmine tea is laced with Jasmine and is not the tea itself, it is important to understand the foundation of the tea, which can come in a few different varieties such as black, green, white and oolong. Black tea is almost always graded on how it is processed, how much of the whole leaf is present, how many plant parts per million are present, the time of the year the leaf was plucked. White tea does not typically use time to determine the quality of the tea, but instead use the type of white tea for Jasmine tea. The two main types would be either Silver Needles or White Peony. Green tea is graded according to shape of the leaf and Oolong is according to the label of quality. This is somewhat ambiguous because it is labeled as ‘good’, ‘fancy’, ‘extra fancy’ and so on.

When you have gone through all this preparation to both find the right tea, the right place to consume it and the right company (or no company), what are you left with? A great experience. You get to consume of the best tasting teas around. Jasmine makes the tea taste almost sweet all by itself. It has a way of letting you relax and take everything in. The aroma is like the flower and a piping cup is a balm to the soul.