{
    "id": 1070288,
    "title": "Osmanthus tea: the apricot-scented flower",
    "slug": "osmanthus-tea",
    "type": "page",
    "url": "https://teas.co.uk/wiki/osmanthus-tea/",
    "modified": "2026-09-18T00:45:35+01:00",
    "excerpt": "Osmanthus flowers smell of apricot and honey. What osmanthus tea is, the three forms you will find it in, and how to brew it without losing the perfume.",
    "content_text": "Osmanthus is a small golden flower with a big smell: apricot, peach and honey, unmistakable once you have met it. In China the flowers are called gui hua, they bloom in autumn, and they are used both as an infusion on their own and to scent tea \u2014 most famously oolong.\r\nThe plant is Osmanthus fragrans, sometimes sold as sweet olive or tea olive. It is not related to the tea plant. Kew: Osmanthus fragrans\r\nThree things sold as \"osmanthus tea\"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat you buy\r\nWhat is in it\r\nCaffeine\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDried osmanthus flowers\r\nFlowers only\r\nNone\r\n\r\n\r\nOsmanthus oolong or green tea\r\nTea leaves scented or blended with the flowers\r\nYes\r\n\r\n\r\nOsmanthus-flavoured tea\r\nTea with flavouring, sometimes with a few flowers added\r\nYes\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nRead the ingredients: if tea appears in the list, there is caffeine in the cup, however floral it smells.\r\nHow to brew it\r\nFlowers alone: 1 teaspoon (about 2g) per 250ml, water at about 85\u00b0C, 3 to 4 minutes. The flowers float, so use an infuser basket or strain it. The cup is pale gold and delicately sweet.\r\nOsmanthus oolong: brew as you would the oolong underneath it \u2014 3g per 200ml at 90\u00b0C, 2 minutes for the first infusion, then more. See how to brew oolong tea.\r\nToo perfumed? Use fewer flowers rather than a shorter brew: a weak infusion of a lot of flowers still tastes soapy.\r\nWhat to do with it\r\n\r\nWith oolong. The classic pairing. A lightly roasted oolong carries the apricot note beautifully.\r\nWith green tea. Lighter and sweeter than jasmine, and less familiar.\r\nAs a dessert flavour. Osmanthus is used in jellies, syrups and sweet soups in China; a spoonful of the infusion is lovely over poached pears.\r\nIced. Brew double strength, cool, and serve over ice with a slice of peach.\r\n\r\nBuying it\r\n\r\nBuy flowers sold for drinking, not craft or pot-pourri material.\r\nSmell the pack if you can. Osmanthus is all about aroma; old flowers go dusty and flat.\r\nCheck whether there is tea in it if you want it caffeine-free.\r\nBuy small. Dried flowers fade; 25g goes a long way at a teaspoon per cup.\r\n\r\nOur floral tea guide covers jasmine, rose and lavender, and oolong tea explains the style most often scented with osmanthus.\r\nCommon questions\r\nDoes osmanthus tea contain caffeine?\r\nThe flowers alone do not. Scented teas do, because of the tea base.\r\nWhat does it taste like?\r\nApricot and honey, with a soft floral finish. It is sweeter-smelling than it is sweet-tasting.\r\nCan I use flowers from an osmanthus bush in the garden?\r\nOnly if you know the plant is Osmanthus fragrans and has not been sprayed. Buying food-grade flowers is simpler.\r\nIs it the same as jasmine tea?\r\nNo. Different flower, different aroma. Jasmine is white-floral and heady; osmanthus is fruity and gentler.",
    "contentSignals": "ai-train=yes, search=yes, ai-input=yes",
    "links": {
        "apiCatalog": "https://teas.co.uk/.well-known/api-catalog",
        "llmsTxt": "https://teas.co.uk/llms.txt",
        "mcpCard": "https://teas.co.uk/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json",
        "primaryAgenticRouteAuthority": "https://teas.co.uk/.well-known/teas-primary-agentic-route-authority.json"
    }
}