Osmanthus is a fragrant shrub native to China, with aromatic flowers suitable for tea infusions. It is used in Chinese food culture and traditional medicine, and can be added to black or green tea for flavor.
Osmanthus is a type of shrub native to China. Its flowers are aromatic and are considered quite suitable to add to tea infusions. Some tea purveyors claim that tea promotes healthy skin and improves digestion and immune responses.
Although there are several species of Osmanthus plants, the sweet olive, or Osmanthus fragrans, is the type that tea drinkers use. It is a shrub that keeps its leaves all year round and can survive both in pots and outdoors. The word “Osmanthus” actually comes from the Greek words osma and anthos which translate to “fragrant” and “flower” respectively. The plant family is closely related to olives and jasmines.
Typically, the shrub smells like apricots, making it a desirable shrub for gardeners who enjoy fragrant plants. Raisins and plum notes may also be present. There are about 20 different varieties of Osmanthus fragrans and the coloration of the flowers varies according to the variety. White, yellow and red are possible colors.
It is the scent that is the main characteristic of osmanthus tea, and therefore commercially prepared teas contain only the flower. Generally, the tea drinker needs to pour water at a temperature below boiling over some of the osmanthus tea flowers, and then needs to let the scent and flavor infuse into the water for several minutes.
In addition to osmanthus tea, the flowers are used in many aspects of Chinese food culture. Examples include soup flavoring, jam addition as a perfuming agent, and as a flavoring agent for alcohol. The essential oil of the flowers can also form the basis of perfumes.
Traditional Chinese medicine uses various parts of the Osmanthus plant and sometimes the flowers act as flavorings in strongly flavored preparations. Since the Chinese think flowers are good for skin and hair, they can also be an ingredient in cosmetics. In addition to a scent, flower essential oil can repel insects. Some manufacturers also claim that osmanthus tea aids digestion and aids the immune system.
Those who love the scent and flavor of flowers can also add them to a cup of black tea or green tea. If a tea drinker mixes some dried flowers into the tea and stores the mixture in an airtight container, the flowers impart the scent and flavor to the rest of the tea. In Chinese, the flowers are called Kwei Hwa.
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