Jasmine Vs. Oolong Tea (Differences & Nutrition Benefits)

If you’re a tea drinker, you’ll know that tea is best any time of day. Whether it’s at night or at dinner, enjoying a cup of tea is always a pick-me-up. Tea isn’t a new fad either. It’s been enjoyed for thousands of years.

With over 40 billion in worldwide sales, you can only imagine the wide variety of tea blends and flavors.

If you haven’t tried Jasmine or Oolong tea, then you have come to the right place. Let’s dive into their taste, nutritional profile, price point and discover unique ways to enjoy them.

Generally speaking, Jasmine tea and Oolong tea are entirely different. Jasmine is a sweet, floral flavor added to a tea base. Jasmine can be added to a green, black, or even Oolong tea base. Oolong tea is derived from the same plant as black and green tea. However, the oxidation process causes a range of light to mellow to bold flavors. Both of these teas have similar health benefits.

DISCLAIMER: While this information was prepared by a certified dietitian, it is NOT a medical advice. Please consult your own medical professional before altering your diet. The information is strictly for educational purposes.

How Does Jasmine Tea Taste?

The flavor profile for Jasmine tea mainly represents the flower itself. The star-shaped, white Jasmine flower blossom and release a captivating scent.

It is known to have a rich aroma of sweet perfume. Jasmine’s flavor profile is often described as:

        Floral        Fragrant
        Sweet        Delicate
       Perfumed        Subtle
       Fresh        Blossomed

Many factors affect the taste profile of Jasmine tea. Let’s dive into what contributes to the flavors of jasmine tea.

Jasmine Tea: Taste and Flavor

Adding Jasmine to Green Tea is a great way to cover the intense flavor profile of Green Tea.

The flavor of Green Tea is bold and robust. Jasmine will turn this flavor into a much sweeter blend.

This is the same for black tea. The bitterness of black tea is brightened with the floral notes in Jasmine.

If Jasmine Green Tea is too bold or sweet for your tastes, trying a bitter Jasmine black tea might be in your favor.

Alternatively, when Jasmine is added to white tea, you experience a feminine fragrance.

The citrus components in the white tea matched with the floral in the Jasmine will give you a perfumey coziness.

Jasmine Tea

How The Source of Tea Leaves and Jasmine Blossom Affects Taste

The flavor of Jasmine tea is essentially the and flower blossoms. Therefore, the quality of these components will heavily affect the taste of each cup.

The Jasmine tree has grown in such popularity that it has been planted all over the Southern Hemisphere.

Where your Jasmine flowers are sourced will affect the taste because the environment is essential to the health of each plant.

The plant needs to be in a damp climate that dries in time to pick the buds in the summer.

The Jasmine flower buds will have the most robust flavors when picked before they bloom. The quality will not be as flavorful if you select the flower too early or too late.

jasmine tea leaves

How You Brew Your Jasmine Tea Will Affect the Taste

Once the flowers are ready to bloom, and the tea leaves are prepared, there is an age-old process to brewing.

The Jasmine flower must go through a strenuous scenting process on top of the tea to get the most natural, rich flavor.

You can find these fresh, exquisite flavors in Yin Hao and Dragon Pearls brands.

However, most of the blends you find at the store are rife with jasmine oils or flavorings. So, to get the full effect of the natural flavor, you might have to opt for purchasing a blend online.

Other than outstanding natural sweetened notes, what are the benefits of drinking Jasmine tea? Let’s dive in.

What Nutritional Value Do You Get from Jasmine Tea?

The level of nutritional value given to your Jasmine Tea directly relates to the base tea you choose to go with it.

However, it’s important to note that all tea is good for you. It is full of antioxidants and is a good source of hydration.

When addressing the nutritional benefits of teas flavored with Jasmine, you can expect them to be healthy. Many people suggest these specific health benefits:

         May Aide Weight Loss         Promotes Good Oral Health
         Could Protect Your Heart         Could Boost Brain Function
         May Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes         Lowers Risk of Cognitive Decline
         May Reduce Certain Cancer Risk         Enhances Your Qi
         Helps Ease Anxiety         Combats the Aging Process

Does Jasmine Tea Contain Caffeine?

Jasmine flowers are caffeine-free. To find out the actual caffeine content, it’s essential to look into the base tea.

Green tea will have lower caffeine content, while black tea has higher caffeine content. White tea has the least amount of caffeine out of any tea leaf.

How Does Oolong Tea Taste?

Unlike Jasmine tea, the range of flavors in Oolong tea is vast. This variation heavily relies on the level of oxidation.

Since oxidation changes the color, you can find the perfect fit for your taste buds by color alone. Most suggest that the colors have these flavor profiles.

Oolong Tea ColorFlavor Profile
Light GreenFresh, Rich, Buttery, Sunny-Sweet
Warmer GreenWarm Spice, Deeper Mellow, Woodsy
Dark GreenRobust, Heavy Roast, Thick and Intense

However, much like Jasmine tea, Oolong tea’s taste will change wildly depending on the quality of the tea leaves and preparation styling.

Therefore, it’s critical to find online vendors to get the most natural flavor.

Does Oolong Tea Contain Caffeine?

Yes, Oolong tea does contain caffeine, but the limits are much less than an average cup of coffee.

You can expect anywhere from 10 to 60mg of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup of Oolong tea. Compared to 70 to 130mg in an average cup of coffee.

oolong tea

What Are the Health Benefits of Oolong Tea?

Oolong tea contains a wide variety of health benefits. You can typically find these vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

         Calcium         Magnesium
         Potassium         EGCG
         Theaflavins         Thearubigins
         L-theanine         Polyphenols


These health elements are known to be beneficial to our health.

Oolong tea also is expected to reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart-related conditions. The relaxing nature of tea is a stress reliever and anxiety reducer.

So, how does Oolong tea compare to Jasmine tea? And which offers a more flavorful, nutrient-rich profile? Let’s discuss.

Jasmine Tea Vs. Oolong Tea

NutritionJasmine Tea (Green tea base)Oolong Tea
Calories00
Natural Sugars00
Carbohydrates00
Protein00
Total Fats00

As you can tell from the above chart, both Jasmine tea and Oolong tea have zero calories from fat, sugar, or proteins.

While this is a powerful drink, it also contains nutrients like iron, potassium, and zinc in small amounts. This low-calorie beverage leads to a variety of health benefits.

Flavors and BenefitsJasmine Tea Oolong Tea
Natural SweetYesNo
BoldNoYes
WoodsyNoYes – Dark Blends
FloralYesYes – Golden Blends
Aides Weight LossYesYes
Promotes Hearth HealthYesYes
Reduces Certain Cancer RisksYesYes
Reduces Risk of Type 2 DiabetesYesYes
Boosts Immune SystemYesYes
Reduces Anxiety and StressYesYes

What Is Jasmine Tea?

Jasmine tea is generally tea that has been combined with the Jasmine flower or flavorings. The jasmine flower utilized to flavor this tea is from a tree in the olive family.

This type of tree produces sweet-smelling and intensely fragrant flowers. Therefore, Jasmine tea is not an essential blend of tea but a combination of tea and jasmine flowers.

What is Oolong Tea?

Now, you might be wondering how Oolong tea compares to Jasmine tea? Honestly, it is entirely different.

Unlike Jasmine tea, Oolong tea is its own tea leaf blend. It is also far less prevalent outside of China.

Oolong tea is made from the Camellia sinensis plant,which is the same plant used to make green and black tea.

What makes Oolong tea unique is how it is processed. The Oolong tea leaves are wilted in the sun and bruised to give way to partial oxidation.

Depending on how long the leaves are left to oxidize, they will range from green to golden to brown. This oxidation process will also heavily affect the flavor.

Jasmine vs Oolong Tea: Price Difference

If you prefer a naturally sweetened flora tea, you will love Jasmine. However, if you want a more smoky, earthy tea, Oolong is more suitable.

You will need to find the most exquisite brands for the most distinct flavors and pay these price points.

Tea Product SizeJasmine TeaOolong Tea
20 bag pack$3.32$8.85
50 bag pack$11.89$24.99
4-ounce loose leaf bag$14.99$18.89

Aside from their flavor differences, you might find yourself paying more for Oolong tea. But it’s unanimous that these teas are both a part of a heart-healthy diet.

Now that you have learned all about the flavor constituents, I’m sure you’re ready to enjoy them. Let’s know about some quick recipes to maximize your tea drinking experience.

The Best Ways to Enhance Jasmine and Oolong Tea

These types of teas can be enjoyed warm or cold. And the best thing about these blends is that they can be enjoyed together!

If you want to calm down the sweetness of Jasmine, try adding it to a dark Oolong tea. The woodsy notes mask the sweetness and give you the perfect bitter blend.

Warm Tea Recipe: Citrus Jasmine Tea

Oolong tea is often drunk hot with milk or honey. You can add sugar or simple syrup for a sweeter taste!

If you want to curl up with a book and a warm cup of Jasmine tea, you must try this recipe.

You’ll need:

  • Jasmine tea (Oolong works, too)
  • boiling water
  • an orange
  • honey

First, grab your favorite Jasmine tea bag, then throw some water in the kettle.

Once it is boiling, place in your Jasmine Teabag, then squeeze in half an orange and a spoonful of honey. Your tastebuds will explode!

Cold Tea Recipe: Jasmine milk tea with honey boba

If you want a cold Jasmine tea alternative, you must try this recipe. You’ll need

  • Your favorite Jasmine tea bag (Oolong works, too)
  • 1 cup of boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • ¼ cup of uncooked WuFuYuan black tapioca pearls
  • 3 tablespoons of dairy or dairy alternative

Start by boiling your water, then add your Jasmine tea bags. Once you have your desired level of Jasmine, toss the bag and let your hot Jasmine tea cool.

Then combine two tablespoons of hot water and 2 tablespoons of honey until it is dissolved. Set this aside.

Bring a saucepan of water to boil, then add your tapioca pearls. You will cover the pan and let this cook for 5 minutes.

Then you will drain and plunge the pearls into cold water and drain again. Then add the honey syrup and wait 10 minutes to be absorbed.

Now it’s time to pour the honey boba pearls into the bottom of a 16-ounce glass. Then, you’ll want to add ice and pour your cooled jasmine tea over the mixture.

Top with your dairy/non-dairy equivalent and enjoy! You might need to add extra honey or simple syrup for a sweeter combination!

Final Thoughts

With all the ways to improve your health and enjoy these calming treats, what’s stopping you from making tea? Go try some today!

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