Vietnamese lotus tea facts for kids
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| Type: | Green |
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| Other names: | NA |
| Origin: | Vietnam |
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| Quick description: | Similar to Yunnan green but scented |
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Vietnamese lotus tea is a special kind of green tea from Vietnam. It gets its unique smell from the beautiful lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera). This tea is very important in Vietnam. People often drink it during special parties or celebrations. It's a famous product from Vietnam's tea makers.
How Vietnamese Lotus Tea Is Made
This special tea is made by letting green tea leaves soak up the natural scent of lotus flowers. There are a few ways to do this:
- Stuffing the flower: Green tea leaves can be carefully placed inside a lotus flower. They stay there overnight to absorb the flower's sweet smell.
- Using flower parts: Sometimes, the whole stamen (the part of the flower that makes pollen) or just the anthers are taken from the lotus flower. These parts are then used in two ways:
- They can be put in jars with tea leaves overnight.
- They can be baked with the tea leaves.
These steps can be repeated many times. Each time, the tea leaves get more of the lotus scent. For the very best lotus teas, it takes about one thousand lotus flowers to scent just one kilogram of tea! This is a very old and traditional way of making the tea. Today, some tea makers use flavors or perfumes to scent the tea more quickly.
How to Brew Lotus Tea
Lotus teas are usually very strong. It's best to brew them for less than 2 minutes. Use cooler water, around 160°F (70°C). Some fancy lotus teas can be brewed three or four times from the same tea leaves. This means you can enjoy many cups from one serving!
