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Viet nam- Lotus Tea
Lotus Tea
Lotus tea is a very special and rare type of Vietnamese tea, considered something of a delicacy because of the difficult way it is obtained and of course, the extraordinary flavor. Lotus tea is actually a green tea at base, but the lotus flavoring elevates it to new heights in terms of gustative indulgence.
The traditional process of obtaining lotus tea is painstaking at best. It consists in an initial phase, of the picking of young lotus blossoms nearing their bloom. Afterwards, the lotus blossom is opened with extreme care, and some of its petals are peeled off to reveal the pollen-filled interior, so that a leaf of green tea can be slipped inside. Once that has been done, the lotus blossom is closed back the way it was and kept that way for a number of hours. At the end of the waiting period, the tea leaf is taken out of the lotus blossom and set to dry, now fully flavored with the lotus' unmistakable aroma. Thousands of lotus flowers are needed to obtain a few kilograms of lotus tea.
Another method of making lotus tea employs about the same number of flowers, but instead of having the tea tucked into the blossom over a few hours to accumulate the aroma, the mature lotus flowers are picked and their stamina are collected and placed in alternate layers with the green tea in a terracotta jar which will be tightly sealed after the operation is over. The closed jars are then gently heated through a series of means, the most common being their placement next to jars containing hot water. The heat must not be very strong; it should be soft, so that the drying process is not rushed. Through this method, if done properly, a batch of tea will be completely dry and ready for use after about a month.
Seeing as it is a green tea, lotus tea will retain all the benefic properties of the green tea, having the added advantage of an incredible aroma. It's not hard to understand why this tea would be considered a delicacy. The lotus tea infusion must be prepared with the same kind of care with which the tea was originally processed. The cups lotus tea experts recommend for use with this tea are made out of terracotta, because they retain the heat in the manner necessary for the lotus tea infusion to become perfect. The inside of the cups should be either white or a very light shade of pink, so that the color of the infusion can be highlighted and complemented at the same time. The terracotta cups should be heated in hot water before the tea is added. After adding the tea, hot (but not boiling) water is added, and the tea is left to seep for about 5 minutes, after which it is ready to be enjoyed.
Lotus tea is a true masterpiece of the tea making craft, and as with any masterpiece, the process of its creation is painstaking, but the final reward is well worth it.
Lotus tea is a very special and rare type of Vietnamese tea, considered something of a delicacy because of the difficult way it is obtained and of course, the extraordinary flavor. Lotus tea is actually a green tea at base, but the lotus flavoring elevates it to new heights in terms of gustative indulgence.
The traditional process of obtaining lotus tea is painstaking at best. It consists in an initial phase, of the picking of young lotus blossoms nearing their bloom. Afterwards, the lotus blossom is opened with extreme care, and some of its petals are peeled off to reveal the pollen-filled interior, so that a leaf of green tea can be slipped inside. Once that has been done, the lotus blossom is closed back the way it was and kept that way for a number of hours. At the end of the waiting period, the tea leaf is taken out of the lotus blossom and set to dry, now fully flavored with the lotus' unmistakable aroma. Thousands of lotus flowers are needed to obtain a few kilograms of lotus tea.
Another method of making lotus tea employs about the same number of flowers, but instead of having the tea tucked into the blossom over a few hours to accumulate the aroma, the mature lotus flowers are picked and their stamina are collected and placed in alternate layers with the green tea in a terracotta jar which will be tightly sealed after the operation is over. The closed jars are then gently heated through a series of means, the most common being their placement next to jars containing hot water. The heat must not be very strong; it should be soft, so that the drying process is not rushed. Through this method, if done properly, a batch of tea will be completely dry and ready for use after about a month.
Seeing as it is a green tea, lotus tea will retain all the benefic properties of the green tea, having the added advantage of an incredible aroma. It's not hard to understand why this tea would be considered a delicacy. The lotus tea infusion must be prepared with the same kind of care with which the tea was originally processed. The cups lotus tea experts recommend for use with this tea are made out of terracotta, because they retain the heat in the manner necessary for the lotus tea infusion to become perfect. The inside of the cups should be either white or a very light shade of pink, so that the color of the infusion can be highlighted and complemented at the same time. The terracotta cups should be heated in hot water before the tea is added. After adding the tea, hot (but not boiling) water is added, and the tea is left to seep for about 5 minutes, after which it is ready to be enjoyed.
Lotus tea is a true masterpiece of the tea making craft, and as with any masterpiece, the process of its creation is painstaking, but the final reward is well worth it.