The ancient lotus flowers of Hue, especially the white lotus grown in the Imperial City and Tinh Tam Lake, possess a distinctive fragrance unlike those grown in other places.
Using thousands of white lotus flowers from the Imperial City and Tinh Tam Lake as raw materials, tea artist Tran Thi Thanh Nhi meticulously separates the lotus grains (the white-colored fragrance pouches found on the lotus petals) to create a tea known as Ngoc Khiet, which has captivated visitors from far and wide.
Depending on the intensity of the flower's fragrance each year, the number of flowers infused into the tea is adjusted. On average, approximately 2,000 flowers are needed to infuse 1 kg of lotus tea.
In September 2019, at the Tea Masters Cup Vietnam 2019 Competition held in Ha Giang, tea artist Tran Thi Thanh Nhi surpassed 20 artists from across the country to win first prize in the "Tea and Food Pairing" category and second prize in the "Tea Tasting" category. Thanh Nhi is one of the three Vietnamese tea artists selected to participate in an upcoming global tea competition to be held in China.
Hue News would like to introduce a photo reportage by the photographer Le Huy Hoang Hai and Hieu Truong on tea artist Thanh Nhi and the process of crafting Ngoc Khiet tea.
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| The owner of the raw ingredient provider collecting lotus at the lake |
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| The main gate to enter Nhi Do Mai Tea House |
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| Tea artist Thanh Nhi guiding tea enthusiasts on how to make lotus tea |
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| Tea artist Thanh Nhi checking the fragrance of the lotus before incorporating it into the tea |
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| Tea artist Thanh Nhi appreciating the scent of freshly harvested lotus grains |
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| The step of adding the tea into the lotus blossom |
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| The process of packaging lotus flowers with tea inside using lotus leaves |
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| The final product is lotus tea made with premium tea leaves |
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| Tea artist Thanh Nhi instructing a young girl on how to brew tea. |
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| Tea artist Thanh Nhi instructing a young student on how to properly lift a teacup |
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| Foreign guests enjoying tea at Nhi Do Mai Tea House |