Chung Hao Jasmine Green Tea - The Floral Star
At Betjeman & Barton, we have one unwavering requirement: to select only the exceptional. A tea only joins our collection if it possesses that rare quality: to linger in the memory, to stir the senses, to elevate the moment. Jasmine Chung Hao is one of these creations.
This tea is born in the mist-shrouded mountains of Fujian and Guangxi, Chinese provinces where jasmine tradition reaches its peak. The leaves, carefully picked, undergo a rigorous perfumer's process, blended night after night with freshly bloomed flowers, then separated at dawn. The dance is repeated up to eight times, until absolute perfection is achieved.
When infused, the liqueur is a pale gold, almost diaphanous, but its fragrance is anything but discreet. The jasmine is ample, enveloping, sovereign, a floral halo that caresses the palate with the softness of velvet and the density of an imperial fabric.
The base, however, is not a simple vegetal green tea: more oxidized than average, it flirts with the codes of a lightly oxidized green tea, offering a solid structure, a roundness in the mouth and a depth that welcomes, supports, and magnifies the floral aroma. The result is a fascinating balance: an intense, vertical, but smooth cup. An architectural grace.
An unforgettable fragrance
There are teas that whisper, others that sing. And then there are those that radiate, like a presence. Jasmin Chung Hao belongs to this rare constellation. Its name, sometimes translated as "the noble one of the center" (中豪), evokes the idea of perfect balance, of a star suspended at its zenith. A majestic, luminous tea, capable of embracing the full magnitude of an imperious jasmine. At Betjeman & Barton, we understand that this tea cannot be described. It must be respected. It must be celebrated.
Two faces of jasmine
While classic jasmine green tea gracefully accompanies a meal, whether sweet or savory, Thai or Provençal, Chung Hao Jasmine is of a different nature. It is not shared at the table, but in the silence of a chosen moment. It calls for fine china, clear water, and soft light.
This is not a tea you pour. It is a tea you welcome. It is prepared in peace, in barely simmering water, filtered like a spring, slowly infused in an earthenware teapot, or better yet: in a fine clay bowl, placed on a light wooden tray. This tea is a ritual. It is drunk at the blue hour, or when the day is fading, when the world slows down. It is the infusion of intimacy.
The audacity of an assumed elegance
Jasmin Chung Hao is a tea of character, powerful, deep, and long-lasting, for discerning connoisseurs and discerning dreamers. It embodies the floral audacity that has forged the soul of Betjeman & Barton: daring to be dense, embracing grandeur, and transforming each cup into an emotion.
It can be enjoyed on its own or in a subtle pairing: coconut pearls, orange blossom shortbread, white fruits. Served iced, it becomes a fresh and heady elixir, a floral mist for sunny afternoons.
