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Trà sen (lotus tea)
Trà sen: green tea tucked inside a fresh West Lake lotus flower overnight, then brewed in a small pot for honoured guests
Every June and July, before sunrise, boats slip between the pink lotus on Hanoi's West Lake to gather flowers for trà sen. The finest lotus tea is made by stripping the tiny white rice-like anthers from hundreds of blooms and layering them with green tea, a labour that makes it one of Vietnam's most expensive gifts, kept for Tết. Families do a simpler version at home: a spoon of Thái Nguyên green tea is tucked into the heart of a fresh flower in the evening, the petals closed and tied, and by morning the leaves have taken on a sweet, creamy, slightly vanilla-like perfume. It is brewed in a small clay pot and drunk in tiny cups in the early morning. The common mistake is brewing with boiling water, which flattens the lotus scent and makes the green tea bitter. Rinse the leaves quickly and brew at 80–85 °C. It is ready when the cup is pale gold and the steam smells of flowers before tea. No fresh lotus? Buy ready-made lotus-scented tea from Vietnamese shops and start at the brewing step. Chef's tip: pick a bud that is just about to open; a fully open bloom has already lost its scent.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the tea
- 1 fresh pink lotus flowera bud just about to open, picked that day
- 2 tbsp Vietnamese green tea (Thái Nguyên)about 8 g; or 8 g ready lotus-scented tea, skipping the scenting
- 1 ¾ cups water
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: In the evening, gently open the petals of 1 fresh pink lotus flower with your fingers, without tearing them, until you can see the yellow stamens in the centre.
3 minStep 2: Spoon 2 tbsp Vietnamese green tea (Thái Nguyên) into the centre on top of the stamens. Close the petals back over it, tie the top with soft kitchen string and wrap loosely in a clean cloth or lotus leaf.
5 minStep 3: Leave in a cool, shaded place (not the fridge) overnight, about 12 hours, until the leaves smell of lotus when you open the flower.
720 minStep 4: In the morning, untie the flower and shake the tea out into a small teapot, picking out any loose stamens.
2 minStep 5: Bring 1 ¾ cups water to the boil and let it stand 2 minutes to reach about 80–185°F. Pour a splash over the leaves, swirl and pour off at once to rinse them.
3 minStep 6: Fill the pot with the rest of the water, cover and steep for 1 minute, until pale gold and fragrant. Pour into small cups, then refill the pot for two or three more short brews.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 2 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does trà sen (lotus tea) take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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