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Tra Tien Lotus Green Tea
True Lotus Tea is a rare thing in the USA. The lotus is a waterlily that forms tuberous roots that are eaten as a vegetable in much of Asia, as well as producing stunningly beautiful pink flowers with a golden center. Lotus tea captures the scent of the lotus, which is reminiscent of basil, or the delicious anisette cookies at Italian bakeries, and feels unusually rich in the mouth. This is an excellent tea for enjoyment during meals of Asian cuisine, or at teatime with biscuits or pastries. It is fabulous iced, and needs no sugar. For some reason, kids love lotus tea at all our outdoor markets; parents are surprised to find an unsweetened, low-caffeine cold drink that their children like.
The base for this tea is medium-leaf "sticks-and-leaves" green tea, slightly steamed and dried. It is absolutely the best green tea of its type that we have found, from all our brokers traveling through Southeast Asia. The green tea is scented by layering between screens of lotus flowers. Chinese tea buyers have recently tried to buy the entire supply of this company, as its reputation grows and these buyers realize the superior quality of this Vietnamese tea, possibly the purest in the world. We have a limited supply, as a result. Other Vietnamese producers, such as Hung Phat and Tam Chau, have stopped producing Lotus Green Tea in favor of a medicinal tea that has Lotus, Reisha and other ingredients, so this may well be the last tea of its type being produced in the world.
The brewing of Lotus Tea is a controversial thing in our office. Some staunchly prefer the robust tea produced after 4 minutes of brewing, while others are much more pleased with the milder tea produced by a 2-3 minute brewing time. Your own preference will have to determine your brewing time; we suggest trying it at both times to decide for yourself.
To retain the maximum antioxidant health benefits, keep the bag tightly closed using a bag clip. While whole leaf tea will keep for a long time, its antioxidants will gradually lose potency if left exposed to air.
Brewing Recommendations
- Amount: 1 tsp per cup
- Temperature: ~170 degrees
- Duration: 2-4 minutes
Serving Suggestions:
Delicious hot or iced. Makes a quick and easy sun tea.