Bewildered by the scent of lotus at the beginning of the season on the streets of Hanoi

Every degree at the end of May is also when the streets of Hanoi are bustling with street vendors carrying a delicate, pure and magical flower, which is the first lotus of the season.

For the people of Hanoi, summer is not only the season of the brilliant red phoenix, the faithful purple mausoleum or the golden canary flower in a corner of the sky, but also the most brilliant lotus flower season. In the last days of May, on many alleys and street corners of the capital, we can easily see street vendors with all kinds of white lotuses and pink lotuses gently blooming. On the streets of Hanoi such as Lac Long Quan, Thuy Khue, Hoang Hoa Tham, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Phan Dinh Phung … began to see the appearance of pink lotus bouquets both strange and familiar. The early summer lotus has not yet fully bloomed, but it is still shy in the breath of nature, and still has pure pearl-like dew drops on it. Loads of flower vendors roaming the streets are both gentle, rustic and bring the unique nature of Hanoi. In the area of ​​Quang Ba flower market (Tay Ho) lotus also began to be sold a lot. The image of the lotus flower has long been associated with folk songs and proverbs, associated with the life and people of Vietnam in general and the Ha Thanh people in particular. For every child of the capital, the pure beauty of the lotus flower is one of the indispensable wonderful things when summer comes. The lotus season usually lasts until the beginning of September, but the most beautiful and fragrant flower period is from the end of May to the second half of June. Bach Diep lotus (Quan Am lotus) has a darker pink color with many layers of small petals and a mild fragrance. In addition to pink lotus, white lotus is also very popular. White lotus is native to India, lotus pond owners said, if well cared for, the plant can grow to nearly 2 meters, the roots crawl horizontally under the water about 3 meters. Referring to Hanoi lotus, people often refer to West Lake lotus. But West Lake lotus flowers often bloom late, so at this time, the street vendors are usually imported from Tu Liem, Thanh Tri, Thuong Tin… The flower buds are nestled on the green foliage. Lotus has many uses: Lotus petals are used to decorate dishes, while the rhizome (lotus lotus root) can be used to process many delicious dishes such as soups, soups, stir-fries… Stamens are dried. dried and used to make tea. Lotus seeds can be made milk, dried as raw materials, made medicine… For tea marinating, lotus at the beginning of the season is the most quintessential gift that heaven and earth have bestowed on the people of this region. The flowers have just bloomed, hundreds of petals are cupped, entwined when the fragrance is still bold and sweetest. At the beginning of the season, because the lotus has not yet bloomed, the price is quite high, ranging from 50,000 to 80,000 VND/bundle of 10 flowers. Even many bouquets cost up to over 100,000 VND if you want to add a lotus flower. Cars full of lotus flowers roaming the streets attracting a large number of people to see and choose to buy. The scent of lotus, who has missed it, lingers forever.