Vietnamese lotus tea (Vietnamese: trà sen, chè sen, or chè ướp sen) is a type of green tea produced in Vietnam that has been flavored with the scent of Nelumbo nucifera. It is a specialty product of the Vietnamese tea industry and is consumed as part of celebratory events or festivals.
| Vietnamese lotus tea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Green |
| Other names | NA |
| Origin | Vietnam |
| Quick description | Similar to Yunnan green but scented |
Production edit
The tea is made by allowing the green tea to absorb the flower's natural scent. This is done through several methods, either by:
- Stuffing green tea leaves into a flower and leaving them overnight
- Pulling the entire stamen from the flower or just their anthers and then either
- Jar them overnight with the tea leaves with them
- Bake the tea leaves with them
These steps can be repeated multiple times to increase the floral scent in the tea leaves.[1] In the case of higher quality teas, one thousand lotus flowers per kilogram of tea are needed to complete this ancient process.[2] Many modern production tend towards flavoring or perfumes to scent the tea.
Brewing edit
Lotus teas are typically very potent and are best brewed for under 2 minutes using cooler brewing temperatures (160 °F/70 °C). Some fancier ones will brew 3-4 times from one set of leaves.
References edit
- ^ The Tao of Tea. "Vietnamese Tea". Archived from the original on 2007-10-29. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
- ^ Art of Tea. "Lotus Green Vietnamese Tea". Archived from the original on 2008-08-02. Retrieved 2008-04-22.