Flavored, blended, and scented teas: Which is right for you?

Have you heard about flavored, blended, and scented teas? What sets them apart? Which is right for you? Let’s explore detailed information of these three categories in this article.

Contents

Introduction

Tea is a classic beverage consumed and enjoyed by people from many cultures. It also comes in many variations, with the most popular types being flavored, blended, and scented teas. Their names refer to different methods of improving the natural flavor and fragrance of tea leaves. Understanding their characteristics can help you find the ideal brew for your taste.

Pure tea

Pure tea is unflavored and unscented true tea produced from the leaves and buds of Camellia sinensis plants. True teas, or real teas, include green, white, black, oolong, yellow, and dark teas. Traditionally, those teas are brewed and enjoyed purely without added sweeteners, flavors, or herbs. However, because of the constant development of the beverage industry, tea recipes are getting more complex and diverse. Tea leaves are combined with different flavors, herbs, and other ingredients to meet the demands of consumers. The concept of flavored, scented, and blended teas was born.

Flavored tea

Characteristics of flavored tea

Flavored tea is made by infusing tea leaves with natural or artificial flavors, which are usually derived from fruits, plants, spices, and essential oils. Natural extracts are essential oils extracted from any parts of a plant, such as leaves, buds, flowers, or roots, which often carry a distinctive taste. Meanwhile, an artificial flavor is produced by changing a naturally occurring molecule’s chemical structure, leading to a stronger and usually less costly flavor.

The purpose of flavoring is to improve and complement the taste and flavor profile of the base tea, providing a distinctive experience. Flavored tea can have a variety of flavors, such as fruity, sweet, tropical, and floral, based on the added flavorings. The flavor intensity is quite strong and dominant; sometimes, it might overwhelm the tea base.

Examples of flavored tea

When it comes to flavored tea, many people might immediately think of Earl Grey Tea. It is a traditional flavored black tea, combining the strong flavor of black tea with the zesty scent of bergamot. It results in a balanced and energizing cup of tea, which is favored worldwide. In addition, some hints of orange and lemon peel can be added to create Lady Grey Tea, a variation of Earl Grey Tea. It even enhances the taste of traditional Earl Grey Tea by bringing a brighter and more delightful flavor. Besides, there are numerous variations of flavored tea, such as black tea flavored with fruit flavors or green tea flavored with flower scents.

Blended tea

Characteristics of blended tea

Blended tea involves combining different types of tea leaves, herbs, spices, or flowers to attain a balanced and harmonious flavor profile. The objective of blended tea is to create a complementary fusion of flavors, which means no component is intended to dominate and overwhelm the others. Besides, many manufacturers create blended tea to maintain a consistent price or match an industry standard. Through blending, tea artisans can make unique combinations that balance or enhance any specific characteristics.

Examples of blended tea

There are many types of blended tea in which tea leaves are mixed with other ingredients like herbs, flowers, dried fruit, or spices. For instance, Genmaicha is a tea blending green tea and roasted rice, resulting in a harmonious combination of vegetal and nutty flavors. Chai tea is also an interesting example of blended tea, which contains tea leaves and spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black pepper.

Not only are tea leaves combined with other materials, but different types of tea can also mix to create blended tea. A typical example of this blended tea is English Breakfast tea, a mixture of different black teas from Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya. The blending proportion can vary in various nations and areas. It is described as full-bodied, robust, rich in flavor, popular in British and Irish tea culture, and gradually spread worldwide.

Scented tea

Characteristics of scented tea

Because tea can absorb other flavors and aromas, scented tea is made by scenting tea leaves with real flowers, herbs, or fruits. During the scenting process, tea leaves are layered with aromatic ingredients under controlled conditions. The scenting process might be done several times until the tea leaves take over the floral essence and other natural aromas. After that, the scenting materials are removed, and the finished products are only scented tea leaves.

Unlike flavored tea, scented tea does not directly incorporate the added ingredients into the tea; instead, they just rely on their natural scents. The main goal of scenting tea is to intensify the tea’s aroma without substantially changing the tea leaves’ natural flavor. Scented tea is more subtle and delicate compared to flavored tea. Tea leaf quality, skills, and scenting technique are the factors affecting the flavor of scented tea. Although remaining flower petals or leftover fruit can occasionally be found, scented tea typically contains only pure tea leaves.

Examples of scented tea

The most popular scented tea is jasmine tea. The dry tea leaves are layered with jasmine blossoms in four or five layers and kept in touch for around 10 hours. The mixture is frequently tossed to maintain a steady and optimal temperature, allowing the jasmine fragrance to be absorbed into tea leaves. After that, the tea leaves are separated and dried to the expected humidity. This process might repeat several times until achieving the desired scented teas. In addition, other common aromatic materials in making scented tea are lotus, pomelo, rose, and chamomile flowers.

Which tea is right for you?

Through the creative pairings, flavored teas have pleased our senses and brought in new and strong flavors. Therefore, if you prefer bold, distinct flavors and don’t mind the dominance of other ingredients over tea leaves, flavored teas are your ideal choice. Those unique flavors can totally change your tea-drinking experience.

With blended teas, tea makers can combine various tea leaves and components to produce complex and balanced teas. If you appreciate the balanced and harmonious flavor that contains many ingredients without one overpowering the other, opt for blended teas.

Meanwhile, scented teas are more suitable for those who prefer a natural, subtle, and delicate aroma. The infusion of tea leaves with natural ingredients not only improves the aroma but also maintains the essence of tea leaves. It is often favored by those who want a traditional tea-drinking experience.

Depending on the specific purposes, some tea manufacturers can combine scenting and flavoring methods. For example, they might scent the tea leaves once or twice with the aromatic ingredients and add the flavorings to enhance the expected aroma. You can check it before purchasing by carefully reading the ingredient list.

choose the right tea — Choosing the right tea depends on your preference

About Future Generation Co.,Ltd

We are FGC, the leading tea and beverage exporter in Vietnam and one of the biggest tea suppliers in the world. Our tea products are diverse in types, grades, and production methods. We provide customers with Loose tea (such as Black tea, Green tea, and Oolong tea), Herbal tea (such as Rose tea, Chamomile tea, and Lotus tea), and Specialty tea (such as Matcha), RTD Tea, and Tea Bags. Our mission is to become Vietnam’s leading healthy beverage company.

We ensure stable tea sources for domestic markets and exports with vast high-grown tea farms and available herb gardens. Our tea gardens and factories also meet international standards such as ISO, HACCP, KOSHER, HALAL, etc. In addition, we constantly innovate our machinery system, strengthen production capacity, and increase productivity. We also provide private label and customized packaging services for small and medium enterprises.

If you are a tea distributor, tea importer, teashop manager, or even tea lover, we are committed to being your prestigious tea source supplier in Vietnam!