Product Overview
Vietnamese lotus tea (Vietnamese: trà 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.
Trà sen is a sweet-scented tea, with a honey yellow color that was developed in and is peculiar to Vietnam. The leaves of green tea are carefully placed inside the bud of a lotus flower which is then reclosed and left overnight to infuse the floral aromas and tastes. The lotus flowers are best picked in the late afternoon or dusk and the tea is ready to be brewed the following morning. In earlier times women would row boats out into the lotus ponds and gently place tea leaves inside the flowers, rowing back out the next morning to harvest the ingredients for this unique drink.
In Northern Vietnam, the best lotus flowers are said to come from ponds along the edge of West Lake and accordingly tea made from the buds fetch the highest prices.
The tea is made by allowing the green tea to absorb the flower's natural scent. This is done through several methods: 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 or bake the tea leaves with them. These steps can be repeated multiple times to increase the floral scent in the tea leaves.
Trà sen is a sedative, it’s useful for relieving stress, helping you sleep and is said to improve your mental function. Lotus leaves and roots are just as beneficial and are particularly good for weight loss and also blood problems as they contain anti-hemorrhagic properties.
Smell & Taste are the two most important elements of tea. Special lotus tea is used with natural ingredients, selected pure flavor, with sweet end. Especially, the natural tea has a sweet aroma, can be consumed hot or iced.
Ingredients: Geen tea with lotus aroma. All natural, absolutely no chemicals.
Brewing Guide: 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.