Vietnamese lotus tea ( vi, trà sen, , or ) is a type of green tea produced in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

that has been flavored with the scent of ''

Nelumbo nucifera ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often r ...

''. It is a specialty product of the Vietnamese tea industry and is consumed as part of celebratory events or festivals.

Production

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 The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

from the flower or just their

anther The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

s 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. In the case of higher quality teas, one thousand lotus flowers per kilogram of tea are needed to complete this ancient process. Many modern production tend towards flavoring or perfumes to scent the tea.

Brewing

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

{{reflist, 2 Green tea Blended tea Lotus