Hanoi lotus tea was once used to invite Bill Gates

Hanoi lotus tea is used to treat famous people like American billionaire Bill Gates. It is considered the quintessence of Vietnamese tea, containing culture from the way it is brewed to the way it is enjoyed.

Vietnamese tea artisan Hoang Anh Suong, who has had many opportunities to interact with tea "powerhouses" such as Japan and China and invited many politicians and celebrities to tea when they came to Vietnam, said that the guests, most recently American billionaire Bill Gates, were all impressed with lotus tea, the quintessence of Vietnamese tea.

According to Mr. Suong, the scent of lotus flowers carries the essence of heaven and earth, so lotus-scented tea is considered a precious item, in the past only reserved for noble families. Lotus flowers used to scent tea have a pure fragrance, different from sunflowers which look like lotus but produce seeds used to eat sweet soup, and to make traditional Chinese medicine. If sunflowers are used, the scent of tea will be less fragrant, and the tea will taste sour.

Artisan Hoang Anh Suong makes tea. Photo: Tu Nguyen

Speaking of lotus, Mr. Suong said Vietnam has a lot of lotus flowers but the best ones are from West Lake, Hanoi. In more than 20 years of researching tea, he has experimented many times and realized that West Lake lotus has different "qualities".

"Perhaps, West Lake lotus receives the energy of heaven and earth so it is more fragrant than other places," said Mr. Suong.

Lotus perfumers do not use the whole flower but must pick the white lotus seeds from the slender, bright yellow flower tassels. A West Lake lotus flower can yield 10-12 grams of lotus seeds, while in other places it usually yields only 8-9 grams. Harvesting lotus must be prepared from 4am, waiting from when the sun has not yet risen, the flowers are half-smiling, until the first rays of sunlight fall on the lake, the pink lotus flowers simultaneously open and spread their fragrance.

Lotus soaking must be done quickly. The first step of picking the lotus is "an art" because the lotus flower is soaked in the wet night dew, and the rice is difficult to pick. If done slowly, the lotus scent will evaporate.

Lotus tea leaves still have white rice grains. Photo: Tu Nguyen

He compared the hands of the person picking lotus rice to be "as skillful and delicate as an artist playing a musical instrument". Their left hand tightly holds the flower belt, and their right hand skillfully pushes their fingers so that the rice grains fall into the large lotus leaf. Then, they use strings to tie it up to preserve the fragrance.

Mr. Suong said that even the ancients believed that people who scent lotus tea must keep their souls pure, kind, gentle, and dignified, avoiding "muddying" the flower's scent.

Mr. Suong said that in recent years, in Hanoi, there has been a trend of "instant pickling" lotus tea, just buy lotus flowers, put tea in it and then store it in the refrigerator until needed. He does not object but thinks that this type of tea is not "worthy" to introduce to international friends.

According to artisans, lotus tea has two main lines: black lotus tea and Thai lotus tea. Black lotus tea is considered to be of higher quality because it must use Shan Tuyet tea from the upstream of Ha Giang, which grows naturally on the 800-1300 m high mountains, covered in fog all year round. To cope with the harsh climate, the tea buds have "struggled" to reach up to receive sunlight. That effort to survive has given Shan Tuyet tea its special flavor.

Good tea must be taken from young buds, young leaves, stems and old leaves must be removed. After washing, the tea is steamed and dried. To brew, the tea is put into a jar, covered with a layer of dried banana leaves and brewed for 3-4 years, helping the tea buds to lose their astringency but still retain their aroma and soft petals.

Artisan Suong marinates lotus rice with tea leaves. Photo: NVCC

After brewing the delicious tea, the artisans will marinate it with lotus rice, with a thin layer of rice and a layer of tea. The marinating time depends on the humidity of the lotus rice, usually 18-24 hours. After brewing, the artisan will sift out the lotus rice, put the tea in a paper bag, both to prevent moisture and to preserve the lotus and tea scents, then dry it until the tea leaves are dry, the lotus and tea scents blend together before opening.

Depending on the preference for strong or light, the artisan will continue to infuse the tea a second, third, or even up to six times. On average, each kilogram of lotus tea will cost about 1,000-1,200 lotus flowers, with a minimum price of about 10 million VND per kilogram.

"That sophistication and delicacy always makes me proud when telling stories about lotus tea to tea masters from abroad to Vietnam," said Mr. Suong.

A cup of good tea is also determined by four factors, summarized as "first water, second tea, third brewing, fourth teapot". The most important is the water source, then the tea, the skillful hands of the brewer and the standard tea set. Mr. Suong said that good spring water like in the old days is not easy to find, nowadays people mainly use filtered water.

During a tea ceremony, it is important that both the host and the guest maintain a relaxed mind. The teacup offered to the guest is placed in the palm of the left hand, with the most beautiful side facing the guest. At this time, the teacup is like a pearl blooming in a lotus flower. The guest receives the tea with both hands, responding with a smile.

The artist shared that the tea-drinking posture is very important, including straightening the back, relaxing the muscles, calming the mind, and using three fingers to hold the cup. The thumb and index finger are placed on the mouth of the cup, the middle finger holds the bottom of the cup - called "three dragons holding pearls". After that, the drinker takes a moment to be grateful to nature and the people who made the delicious cup of tea. Before enjoying the tea, slowly lift the cup to eye level, slowly move it from right to left and then left to right, the eyes follow, admiring the beauty of the tea cup - called "traveling in the mountains and rivers", enjoying the beauty of clouds and water.

Raising a cup of tea in the "three dragons descending to the jade" position. Photo: Tu Nguyen

After you have understood the beauty, slowly raise the teacup, inhale deeply to feel the aroma. When drinking, hold the cup gently close to your lips, turn your wrist inward, discreetly take a sip, hold the tea in your mouth for a while to clearly feel the aroma before drinking. A cup of tea needs to be sipped three or four times, not gulped down - "nguu am" (buffalo drinking) as the ancients called it.

A quiet space is an important factor for a tea ceremony. Tea is delicious, but if you drink it on a noisy sidewalk, its flavor will be greatly reduced.

Although elaborate in the way of making and enjoying tea, tea in Vietnam has not yet been "elevated" to the level of a widely popular tea ceremony like in Japan. Mr. Suong said this is not something that can be easily done or relied on by one or two tea artisans. For tea to become an ambassador for promoting culture and tourism, Vietnam will need a long time with the joint efforts of tea makers and ministries and departments of culture, education and tourism.

"Tea is not just a drink, it also represents the beauty of Vietnamese culture and people. A world billionaire coming to Vietnam also chooses to enjoy tea, if we don't know how to promote it, it will be a waste," he said.

Tu Nguyen

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