Lotus tea making art of Hanoi people

Mr. Nguyen The San’s family in Lien Mac commune, Bac Tu Liem district, has 6,000m2 of
water surface to grow lotus flower. He said that lotus flower is cut from May 19th to September 2nd every year.

On these days, at 04h00, Mr. San wakes up to row a small bamboo craft
to cut flowers, but it is not enough to meet customers’ orders.

Lotus flowers are usually cut early in the morning when it is cool
and lotus flower has just opened so it will be fresher and its scent will last longer. 

West Lake lotus flower has hundreds of tiny petals. It blooms and fades quickly.   

Each day, a person can cut over 400 lotus flowers.

Tea used to make lotus tea must be Thai Nguyen tea because this type of tea has green water.
Each kilogram of this kind of tea is about VND500,000.

“Tea is put into lotus flower when it has just opened. Each flower can contain about 13g of tea. During the time the tea is packed in the flower, the tea absorbs its scent. Lotus flowers used to make lotus tea must have peduncles.
 After putting tea into the flower, which will be plunged into water for a day so that the flowers are fresh and absorb
water for its scent spreads inside,” said Ms. Le Ngoc Yen, who has made lotus tea for many years.