The 7 Best Jasmine Tea Brands (2026)

Here's the thing most Americans don't know about jasmine tea: almost all of the cheap jasmine you find in a grocery store is made by spraying tea leaves with artificial jasmine oil. The result tastes soapy, chemical, and one-dimensional.

Real jasmine tea is made the traditional Chinese way — fresh jasmine blossoms are layered with tea leaves overnight, sometimes over 4-7 consecutive nights, until the tea absorbs the scent naturally. The flowers are then removed. What you're left with is tea that smells intensely floral but contains zero actual flowers, and tastes balanced, smooth, and delicately sweet.

That's the difference between $4 grocery-store jasmine and the real thing. Here are the 7 brands worth buying.

How we ranked these

For this list, we evaluated every jasmine tea on:

• Scenting method — real flower-scented or artificially flavored?
• Base tea quality — high-grade green tea or cheap bancha dust?
• Number of scentings — more nights of flower layering = richer aroma
• Origin — Fujian province (especially Fuzhou) is the traditional home of jasmine tea
• Availability and value — easy to buy on Amazon, fairly priced
• Steeping clarity — good jasmine produces a clean pale-green liquor with real floral aromatics

#1. Foojoy Chinese Jasmine Green Tea

Best overall. Made in Fujian (the birthplace of Chinese jasmine tea), scented with real jasmine blossoms over multiple nights. The base tea is a high-grade green tea — delicate, slightly vegetal, balanced by the floral scenting. One of the most consistent and affordable real-jasmine options on Amazon.

Flavor: floral, lightly sweet, clean finish Strength: medium Best for: daily drinkers who want authentic jasmine without breaking the bank

Browse on our Chinese Tea collection page.

#2. Oriental Leaf Chinese Jasmine Green Tea

Best value loose leaf. Traditional Fujian-style jasmine with visible rolled leaves and a strong floral aroma straight out of the bag. Slightly grassier than Foojoy with a fuller body — if you want more "tea" character under the jasmine, this is your pick.

Flavor: floral forward, slight grassiness, full body Strength: medium-strong Best for: people who want both tea and flower character

Also available in our Chinese Tea collection.

#3. Twinings Jasmine Green Tea

Best mass-market tea bag. Widely available, consistent, and much better than other grocery-store options. Real jasmine scenting (not artificial flavoring), reliable in any US supermarket. Best choice if you want a jasmine tea bag and don't care about going loose leaf.

Flavor: mild, floral, clean Strength: light Best for: first-time jasmine drinkers, travel

#4. Teavana Jasmine Pearls (Dragon Pearls)

Best for gifts and ritual brewing. Hand-rolled balls of jasmine-scented green tea that unfurl slowly when you brew them. Visually stunning. Flavor is surprisingly delicate for such a dramatic presentation, but the experience of watching the pearls open makes this the go-to for tea gifts and slow mornings.

Flavor: delicate, honey-floral Strength: light-medium Best for: gifting, mindful brewing, first dates

Note: Teavana-branded jasmine pearls from other sellers are inconsistent since Starbucks closed the retail line. Stick to well-reviewed Amazon sellers.

#5. Harney & Sons Dragon Pearl Jasmine

Best premium pearls. Like the Teavana version but more consistent and higher quality. Direct-from-Fujian sourcing, real jasmine scenting, and each pearl is clearly hand-rolled. Roughly 2x the price, but the flavor depth justifies it.

Flavor: rich floral, honey-sweet, buttery finish Strength: medium Best for: jasmine tea enthusiasts, multi-steep sessions

#6. Rishi Jasmine Green Tea

Best for iced jasmine tea. Organic, fair trade, and holds up beautifully when cold-brewed. The base tea is bright and grassy, scented with jasmine strong enough to survive dilution and cold temperatures. Our pick for jasmine iced tea all summer.

Flavor: bright, floral, slightly grassy Strength: medium Best for: cold brew, iced tea, health-conscious drinkers

#7. Vahdam Himalayan Jasmine Green Tea

Best Darjeeling-style jasmine. Breaks the rules — uses a Himalayan green tea base instead of Chinese. The result is something unusual: jasmine scenting over a more floral, muscatel-toned tea. Not traditional, but interesting and delicious if you're already a Darjeeling fan.

Flavor: floral with muscatel notes, complex Strength: medium-light Best for: tea explorers, Darjeeling drinkers who want a floral twist

What to avoid

Not every jasmine tea on Amazon is worth buying. Red flags to avoid:

• "Jasmine tea flavoring" or "natural jasmine flavor" in the ingredients list — that's usually artificial or oil-based, not real flower-scented tea
• No origin listed — real Chinese jasmine comes from Fujian. If the package just says "made in China" with no region, be skeptical
• Extremely cheap (under $5 for 100 bags) — real flower-scenting is labor-intensive; ultra-cheap jasmine is almost always oil-flavored
• Green dye in the dry leaves — real jasmine is a mix of brown-green tea and (occasionally) dried jasmine flowers for display; unnaturally vibrant green is a warning
• Artificial flavoring detectable on the nose — real jasmine smells floral and slightly sweet. Artificial jasmine smells perfumy, soapy, or like Glade plug-ins

How to brew jasmine tea

Hot:

1. 1 tsp loose leaf (or 1 bag) per 8 oz
2. Water at 175°F / 80°C (not boiling — boiling scorches green tea and kills the floral notes)
3. Steep 2-3 minutes
4. Re-steep the same leaves 2-3 more times

Cold brew:

1. 2 tbsp loose leaf per 4 cups cold water
2. Refrigerate 4-6 hours
3. Strain, serve over ice

Pro tip: Jasmine tea is particularly good as cold brew because the cold water extracts the floral notes without pulling the bitterness of the green tea base.

Jasmine tea health benefits

Since the base tea is green tea, jasmine tea inherits green tea's health profile:

• Antioxidant content — catechins like EGCG
• Low caffeine — about 25-35mg per cup (less than coffee)
• L-theanine for calm focus
• Zero calories when unsweetened

Plus jasmine scenting adds a small amount of linalool, the same terpene that gives lavender its calming reputation. It's a small amount, but some research suggests jasmine scent alone (aromatherapy, no ingestion) may support relaxation.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Jasmine tea vs. other floral teas

| Tea | Flavor | Caffeine | Base tea | |---|---|---|---| | Jasmine green | Floral, delicate | 25-35mg | Green | | Rose tea | Deeper floral, honey | 0-25mg | Varies | | Chamomile | Apple, floral, soft | 0mg | Herbal | | Earl Grey | Citrus-floral (bergamot) | 40-50mg | Black | | Lavender | Herbal-floral | 0-25mg | Varies |

Jasmine is the go-to if you want a classic floral tea with some caffeine and a long track record.

FAQ

Is jasmine tea the same as green tea? Yes — jasmine tea is green tea that's been scented with jasmine flowers. The base is green; the flavor addition is jasmine.

Does jasmine tea contain caffeine? Yes, about 25-35mg per 8 oz — similar to other green teas, half of coffee.

Is there real jasmine in the bag? Usually no. Traditional scenting layers tea with flowers overnight, then removes the flowers. Some brands add a few dried blossoms for visual appeal, but the flavor comes from the scenting process.

Can I make jasmine tea with fresh jasmine flowers? Not easily — not every jasmine species is safe to consume (you want Jasminum sambac specifically). Stick to commercially scented tea unless you're sourcing culinary jasmine deliberately.

Is jasmine pearl tea worth the price? The ritual of watching the pearls unfurl is worth it once. For daily drinking, loose-leaf jasmine gives you similar flavor at a fraction of the price.

The bottom line

For daily drinking and real flavor on a budget: Foojoy or Oriental Leaf. For mass-market convenience: Twinings. For gifts and ritual: Harney & Sons Dragon Pearl. For iced tea: Rishi Organic Jasmine.

Avoid anything artificially flavored. Real jasmine tea from Fujian costs a couple of dollars more and tastes so much better that there's no reason to buy the cheap stuff once you know the difference.

Explore more in our Chinese tea collection or see our full Asian tea lineup.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Jasmine tea is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.