ROSE CONGOU EMPEROR

According to legend, a tea leaf accidentally dropped into a bowl of boiling water belonging to Emperor Chen Nung in 2737 B.C. China. Eventually, everyone from monks and mandarins to nomads who traded horses for bricks of tea adopted the custom of drinking tea as part of their daily routine. Although the Japanese have elevated the act of drinking tea to a spiritual ritual, it was the Chinese who first started the tradition of presenting a guest with a cup of tea as a token of their hospitality.
Scent-infused teas have been around for quite some time and are being made today using traditional methods and ingredients. Rose was one of the easiest fragrances to imitate before the development of essential oil extracts. Tea was traditionally flavoured with rose petals, which were hand-picked from bushes that lined plantations’ walkways and fields. A mild yet tasty tea was the outcome. Adding freshly cut flowers for aesthetics and essential oils to speed up the scenting process are two modern twists on an age-old tradition. The product is a leaf that is both visually appealing and refreshingly clean tasting thanks to the addition of rose petals. If you want to wow your next houseguest, try serving them a cup of tea flavoured with rose water and garnished with fresh rose petals.