Flavoured Green Tea: Jasmine, Mint & More, Teas.co.uk

Flavoured green tea, in summary: Flavoured green tea is a green base scented or blended with jasmine, mint, fruit and more: the cup depends on the base and the flavouring independently.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in February 2026.

Flavoured green tea is the bridge between traditional green tea and modern flavoured tea culture. Mint, lemon, jasmine, peach, salted caramel, all built on a green tea base. Some are ancient (jasmine green tea has been produced in China since the Song Dynasty); some are recent (salted caramel green is firmly 21st century café culture). The category covers everything from refined to sugary; this is the working guide.

The flavouring methods

1. Layered scenting (traditional)

Green tea is layered with fresh flowers (jasmine, rose, osmanthus) for hours or days, allowing the tea to absorb the floral aromatic. Tea is then re dried; flowers are usually removed (or sometimes left in). The resulting tea has a deeply integrated, subtle floral character. This is how authentic Chinese jasmine green tea is made.

2. Direct flavouring

Green tea sprayed with flavouring oil or extract. Faster, cheaper, often less subtle. Most mainstream UK flavoured green tea uses this method.

3. Fruit piece blending

Dried fruit pieces, peels, or freeze dried pieces blended into the tea. Visible fruit in the bag.

4. Herb addition

Mint leaves, lemon peel, ginger pieces blended in.

The major flavoured green tea categories

Jasmine green tea

The most traditional flavoured green tea. Chinese green tea (often Long Jing or a mid grade green) layered with fresh jasmine flowers. The cup is delicately floral, slightly sweet, refined. Premium versions ("Jasmine Pearl") use rolled tea pearls that unfurl when brewed.

Mint green tea

The North African / Mediterranean tradition. Gunpowder green tea + spearmint. More on Moroccan mint here.

Lemon green tea

Green tea + lemon peel + sometimes lemon flavouring. Bright, refreshing, popular for cold brewing.

Fruit green teas

Green tea + dried fruit pieces. Peach, mango, strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate. Mainstream supermarket category.

Floral green teas (beyond jasmine)

Rose green, osmanthus green, chrysanthemum green. Specialty Chinese tradition; less common in UK mainstream retail.

Modern dessert style green

Salted caramel green, vanilla green, chocolate mint green. Café style sweet flavoured green teas. Polarising, purists object; many drinkers love them.

Wellness positioned green blends

Green tea + ginger + lemon (cleanse blends). Green tea + matcha (energy blends). Pukka, Twinings, Clipper all do versions.

What flavoured green tea is good for

Introducing green tea to non drinkers. Plain green tea can be too vegetal for first time drinkers. Flavoured versions ease the transition.
Iced tea. Cold brewed flavoured green tea is excellent, fruit and floral aromatics survive the cold extraction. More on cold brew.
Variety in daily drinking. Different flavour for different mood, all built on the same green tea base.
Caffeine moderate alternative to coffee. 25-40mg per cup, less than coffee, more than herbal infusion.

The verdict on flavoured green tea quality

Flavoured green tea covers a wide quality range:

Premium. Authentic jasmine green (Chinese), single origin flavoured greens. Real flavours, well integrated, refined cup.
Mid tier. UK specialist brand flavoured greens (Whittard, Pukka, Teapigs). Good flavour quality, real ingredients.
Mainstream supermarket. Twinings, Tetley, Pukka standard range. Mostly oil flavoured, mostly fine but not exceptional.
Bottom tier. Cheap flavoured green tea bags often use synthetic flavourings on poor quality green tea bases. Not worth the £1.50.

Quality matters more in flavoured green tea than in plain green, a poor base + cheap flavouring produces a worse cup than just buying decent plain green and adding fresh lemon.

How to brew flavoured green tea properly

1 tea bag per 200ml.
Water at 75-80°C, NOT boiling. Same rule as plain green tea.
Steep 2-3 minutes. Don't oversteep, bitterness develops past 3 minutes.
Drink black or with a small amount of honey. Avoid milk, milk binds catechins and dulls flavour.

Brand recommendations

Twinings Green Tea & Mint. Mainstream UK option. Reasonable mint green.
Pukka Lemon Green. Organic lemon green tea.
Teapigs Mao Feng & Grapefruit. Premium fruit green pairing.
Whittard Jasmine Green. UK specialist's take on jasmine.
Specialist Chinese jasmine pearls. From Mei Leaf, Postcard Teas, authentic traditional jasmine green.

Caffeine

25-40mg per 200ml cup. Standard green tea range. The flavouring doesn't add or subtract caffeine.

FAQ

What's the best flavoured green tea? Authentic Chinese jasmine green for premium drinkers. Pukka or Teapigs for mainstream quality. Avoid £1.50 supermarket flavoured greens, quality reflects price.

Is jasmine green tea caffeinated? Yes, 25-40mg per cup from the green tea base.

Can I drink flavoured green tea iced? Yes, cold brewing flavoured green is one of the best applications. Fruit and floral aromatics survive cold extraction beautifully.

Are flavoured green teas as healthy as plain green? The catechin profile of the base tea is similar. Sugar added flavoured greens (some sweetened versions) are obviously different. Read ingredients.

Best flavoured green for beginners? Lemon green or jasmine green. Both lift the green tea character without overwhelming it.

Curator's note: jasmine pearls in a glass teapot, watching them unfurl as the cup brews, that's flavoured green tea at its best. Most mainstream flavoured green is fine; the premium versions are genuinely transformative. Worth spending up at least once. Lee, Teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

Flavoured green tea categories, at a glance

Type	What it is	The read
Jasmine green	Green scented with jasmine blossom	The benchmark; quality is in the scenting
Mint green	Green + spearmint/peppermint	Moroccan-style; brisk and cooling
Fruit green	Green + fruit pieces/flavouring	Quality varies most here; check the base
Genmaicha	Green + toasted rice	Savoury, nutty; a true classic blend
Cheap "flavoured"	Dusty green + synthetic flavour	The base is hiding; no scent rescues it