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    "id": 1070266,
    "title": "Chrysanthemum tea: what it is and how to brew it",
    "slug": "chrysanthemum-tea",
    "type": "page",
    "url": "https://teas.co.uk/wiki/chrysanthemum-tea/",
    "modified": "2026-09-18T00:45:34+01:00",
    "excerpt": "Chrysanthemum tea is a caffeine-free flower infusion with a honeyed, gently sweet taste. What to buy, how to brew it, and how it differs from jasmine tea.",
    "content_text": "Chrysanthemum tea is an infusion of dried chrysanthemum flowers \u2014 no tea leaves at all, so no caffeine. The cup is pale gold, the smell is honeyed and floral, and the taste is gently sweet with a clean, slightly bitter finish. In China it is an everyday drink, often served with a lump of rock sugar, sometimes with goji berries, and it is the classic thing to order alongside a rich meal.\r\nChrysanthemum or jasmine? They are not the same thing\r\nThis is the confusion worth clearing up first.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nChrysanthemum tea\r\nJasmine tea\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat is in the cup\r\nDried flowers only\r\nGreen tea scented with jasmine blossom\r\n\r\n\r\nCaffeine\r\nNone\r\nYes, from the tea leaves\r\n\r\n\r\nTaste\r\nHoney, hay, light bitterness\r\nGreen tea, with floral perfume\r\n\r\n\r\nFlowers visible?\r\nYes, whole flower heads\r\nUsually removed\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIf you want the flower flavour without caffeine, chrysanthemum is the one. If you want green tea that smells of flowers, that is jasmine.\r\nWhat to buy\r\n\r\nWhole flower heads are the traditional form. They open dramatically in a glass and taste cleaner than chopped flowers.\r\nBagged chrysanthemum is easier for a mug, and often blended with green tea or pu-erh \u2014 read the ingredients if you want it caffeine-free.\r\nSold as food. Buy flowers packed for drinking, not florist's blooms or garden flowers: ornamental plants are grown for looks, not for eating, and may be treated with things you would not want in a cup. The RHS guide to edible flowers makes the same point about identification and provenance.\r\n\r\nHow to brew it\r\nIn a mug or glass: 4 to 6 dried flower heads (about 2g) in 250ml of water at around 90\u00b0C. Brew for 3 to 4 minutes. A glass is worth using \u2014 watching the flowers open is half the pleasure.\r\nRefills: the same flowers will take a second and often a third infusion; add a minute each time.\r\nSweetening: a small piece of rock sugar or a little honey suits it. Taste it plain first \u2014 it is sweeter than people expect.\r\nDo not boil it hard. A rolling boil pulls out more of the bitterness and flattens the perfume.\r\nWays to serve it\r\n\r\nWith goji berries: a few dropped in the glass add a mild fruity sweetness.\r\nWith pu-erh: the classic Cantonese restaurant combination, where the flowers lighten a dark, earthy tea.\r\nIced: brew double strength, cool and pour over ice with a slice of lemon.\r\nAfter a heavy meal: it is light and clean, which is why it is the default in Chinese restaurants.\r\n\r\nOne caution\r\nChrysanthemum belongs to the daisy family. If you react to ragweed, marigolds, daisies or chamomile, you may react to chrysanthemum too, so try a small amount first and avoid it if you have a known allergy in that family.\r\nOtherwise it is simply a flower infusion: enjoy it for the taste rather than for any health claim.\r\nCommon questions\r\nDoes chrysanthemum tea have caffeine?\r\nNot if it is flowers only. Blends with green tea or pu-erh do.\r\nCan I use flowers from my garden?\r\nBetter not to. Use flowers sold for drinking.\r\nWhy is mine bitter?\r\nToo many flowers, water that was too hot, or too long a brew. Try 4 heads, 90\u00b0C and 3 minutes.\r\nWhat is a good first flower tea to try if I can't find chrysanthemum?\r\nChamomile is the closest thing on most UK shelves: another caffeine-free flower infusion, softer and apple-scented. Our floral tea guide covers the family.",
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