"Mousieek" > wrote in message

> Has anyone tried jasmine green tea balls, I bought some that opened up
> into a large carnation and also a packet that opened into lilies.

I love them. I have tried hundred sorts at least. Some are very spectacular
with a collar of jasmin flowers. Others have leaves that stay vertically and
flowers floating under, so it looks like lawn reflecting in a pond.

>The
> taste was very different depending what on the flower.

But you said there were all "jasmin" ? There exist balls that don't contain
jasmin but green or white tea + litchi juice, or rose, or lotus, or
chamomille, or mint, etc.

>I bought them
> from http://www.anbartaste.com

US$ ? That's not cheap.

>I have never seen these before

Most Chinese tea shops have some. Flower teas are served in Chinese
tea-rooms with Asian desserts or if it's not meal time with dry fruits. For
a nicer effect, they brew them in large glasses (ice-cream cups or wine
degustation cups), but...the water is too hot, so that damages the cups,
they rarely break the first time, usually after 6 to 10 times. Now, I brew
in a nice pirex carafe.

> (does anyone know how long tea lasts
> if unopened?)

It lasts...but natural flavors of fruit and flower go away quickly. If the
ball dries, the colors also fade and the leaves become breakable. I use keep
them in a metal canister and use them in the month after buying.

Kuri