Top 10 Best Blooming Teas in the Philippines 2021 (The Tea Source MNL, Teavolution PH, and More)

A blooming tea goes by many names, including flower teas, display teas, and many more. Blooming teas are tea leaves bound by hand to form a sphere, oval, disc, or cone shape. Before sewing them together, the tea leaves are pressed flat so that it's easier to lump them together.

As a display tea, it often includes flowers as the centerpiece. This explains why some blooming teas are named flowering teas – they literally flower before your eyes as you pour in the hot water. Edible flowers are used for such craft, which often includes rose, lily, marigold, carnation, chrysanthemum, to mention a few. 

The magic begins as water is poured into the blooming tea. It opens up to form a garland, a shape of a basket, or a dainty bouquet. Compared to tea leaves that you can brew inside your favorite teapot or French press, blooming tea tends to be showy and dramatic as it opens. 

This makes blooming teas perfect for clear, transparent tea sets to maximize their visual appeal. As blooming teas are sought mostly for its appearance rather than the taste, it also contains lesser caffeine concentration. This will be perfect for an after-dinner tea without fear of keeping yourself awake for the next couple of hours. 

If you're in the mood to feel dainty and pretty while drinking your afternoon tea, read on for the things to consider in choosing the blooming tea that'll work for you. 

A blooming tea is first a tea before it is a well-crafted artwork. The flavor and scent of the loose leaves will help you narrow down your choices out of all the good ones. These hand-crafted teas can be made from black, green, white, or oolong tea. Below are some distinct characteristics of each type.

From improving brain function to lowering the risk of illnesses, green tea has been tagged as the sweetest tea when it is brewed properly. Otherwise, it might even be more bitter than black tea when we don't brew it correctly. 

Besides its distinct taste, its health benefits are also noteworthy. For one, it has been noted to protect the brain from aging, especially among older adults. Among its many other benefits, it also reduces bad breath and improves your overall oral health in the long run. 

As you witness the blooming tea unfurl, the scent that it gives off keeps your mind alert by just the whiff of caffeine. Black tea has the most caffeine content than any other teas on this guide. Drinkers of black tea love its full-bodied taste which gives them that optimum tea experience. 

Black teas have been considered a godsend to drinkers for its antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering properties. For students who have been meaning to ace their exams, this tea also increases focus. 

Being the least processed of all tea types, white teas are often compared to a pale, golden liquor with a fresh, delicate flavor. The taste of white tea is often attributed to its oxidation process - it is essentially non-oxidized. 

Instead of being exposed to heat like green and black teas, this type of tea is simply left to wither and dry in a carefully controlled environment. This results in a delicate taste that every tea drinker has come to love. 

Having mentioned oxidation, you should note that black teas are oxidized greater than green teas. Oolong tea is oxidized somewhere in between the black and green teas, resulting in a floral to grassy and sweet to toasty taste. 

Oolong teas have been noted to lower the blood sugar of those who have Type 2 diabetes, so load up on oolong teas if it runs in the family. Regular consumption of oolong has also been proven to improve heart health.

Delight your palate with fruit flavors infused in your blooming tea. Even one canister of blooming tea can include a dozen of fruit flavors which will greatly entice you and your family's palate.  

Although a fruit-flavored tea does not come with a flower to beautify your teapot, it's still worth a try. You'll be surprised to see that fruit-flavored teas taste as great as they smell. 

The name flowering tea implies that at the center of the loose-leaf teas springs a flower. Gladly, you can choose which edible flower to blossom in your cup of tea.

Known for its long-lasting color even after the drying process, globe amaranth, otherwise called Gomphrena globose, exhibits shades of red, purple, magenta, and lilac. Tea lovers have noticed anti-aging benefits from drinking this tea. This is best enjoyed by inhaling the mellow scent of the flower. 

Sporting a bright yellow color with a floral aroma, this flower has been used in traditional medicine since time immemorial. Besides its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, it also serves as a hangover remedy due to its properties which break down alcohol, perfect after a night of drinking.

With the many high praises for its health benefits, the jasmine flower has a light and clean taste, with a perfume-like aroma. A variant of the jasmine flower is sampaguita, a rustic ornamental décor that is worn as a garland as is sold in many areas in the Philippines. 

In addition to its beauty and scent, it can speed up your metabolism when you drink it regularly. Several studies suggest that jasmine tea increases metabolism by 4 to 5% and also your body's fat-burning level from 10 to 16%.

Known to contain flavonoids that remove toxins from your body, chamomile has the right amount of antioxidants to improve your health. If you have problems sleeping or digesting food, then this tea should be within your arm's reach. 

For other health-conscious folks, chamomile flower tea also aids in lowering blood sugar levels. The anti-inflammatory effect of this tea is heightened when consumed with a healthy and hearty meal.

The elegance of a lily plant is not only a treat for your taste buds, but also for your eyes. The beauty of a lily flower which has made its way into our culture and literature has eventually made its way into our teapots. Its sweet smell is nothing short of relaxing.  

Most lily flower teas are non-caffeinated and have properties that improve skin conditions, such as eczema. Besides benefiting the skin, it is also said to nourish the heart and lower blood pressure. 

Now that we've discussed the different types of blooming teas, it's time to get into our Top 10 list. Choose one - or a few - from our list for a relaxing tea time at home. Just remember to follow the steeping instructions found on the product page!

Using a glass teapot, you can enjoy your flowering tea by watching it unfurl right before your eyes. Here is a video by Teabloom that shows you how to brew your chosen blooming tea with ease. For tea-enthusiasts, you can check out this channel for other tea-related topics. 

1. Select your favorite variety of blooming tea. 
2. Heat up four cups of water in a large tea kettle. You can also use a heat-resistant teapot or mug to hold your brewed tea. Sugar or sweetener is optional.
3. Place your tea bloom into the teapot or mug.
4. Heat water on the stove at 180°F (82°C). The water need not be at boiling temperature before you take it out from the heat. 
5. Pour the hot water inside the teapot or mug. Watch the tea bloom unfurl into a beautiful flower. This will take around two minutes. 
6. Let it steep for a few more minutes before drinking to maximize the flavor. 
7. If you have steeped the tea flower and will not be drinking all of it, carefully remove the tea flower and set it aside. Leaving the bloom in the hot water for too long can change its taste, making it more bitter. 
8. Sit back and relax with your perfect blend of blooming tea. 

There is no denying that caffeine-infused drinks help us get through the day by giving us an extra energy boost. Whether you're a tea or coffee drinker, here are good finds to complete your caffeine-fix. Check out our recommendations below.

The world's emphasis on one's viewing experience causes tea-makers to ride on the bandwagon of visual appeals. From the tea bags you drench in hot water, our teas have evolved into visual phenomena coming in the form of tea globes unfurling into gorgeous blooms. 

This only means that whatever era we may live in, this classic drink will keep up with the times. From simple tea leaves to more complex, flowering teas, it provides a plethora of health benefits that tea drinkers can enjoy. Tea is here to stay – in our hearts and in our mugs. 

Author: A. Ugay

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