The taste of the tea is smooth with delicate and pleasing flavor and a heavenly jasmine character. Jasmine Dragon Pearls are a green tea and are made from the top two leaves and the bud of new season growth (Late March /early April). These delicate leaves are then hand rolled into the small pearls. When you infuse these pearls in your tea cup, you will see the top two leaves and the bud come to life. In fact you will see some small ‘hairy down’ on the bud of the leaves - this denotes superb quality and very careful and delicate handling. The extraordinary flavor of these Jasmine Dragon Tears is due to the time of plucking, manufacture and the fresh spring jasmine blooms. The new tea season starts in China in late March/early April (dependent on weather patterns) and it is during the first 4 weeks that the best teas are manufactured. After this initial period the quality of the teas and green leaf start to deteriorate rapidly and the teas become quite plain. Dragon Pearls are only made from tea plucked in the first 3 weeks of the new season. Coinciding with the new tea growth, the jasmine bushes are in spring bloom. Only the most fragrant blossoms are used (from bushes that are known to produce the most fragrant flowers). These fresh flowers are layered between the tea and before long the intense and uplifting fragrance of the new jasmine blooms is passed on to the tea. An extraordinary taste experience! Country of Origin: China Grade: Hand-made tea pearls