Lotus is in season, it is also the time when the “tea people” hand-marinated lotus tea – a drink full of sophistication and elegance. You can apply the way to marinate lotus tea below to make your own batches of fragrant lotus tea.
This is a type of tea that is marinated straight into the lotus flower. Calling lotus tea “Xoi” is to distinguish it from lotus tea marinated with lotus rice and then dried, which is made very elaborately and meticulously. The word shack probably describes it all for this marinade, which is quick and doesn’t take much effort. However, it is not “sweet” but not delicious, “squat” lotus tea has its own taste and flavor different from lotus tea marinated with dried rice but the price is much cheaper. Therefore, in recent years, lotus tea “Xoi” has become a favorite drink of Hanoians, a gift for Hanoians to give to loved ones far away… The lotus season is in full swing, Ms. Vinh Quyen (Hanoi) introduces to you a way of making lotus tea “steamed” for use and as a gift. How to choose tea marinated lotus Ms. Vinh Quyen said, for good lotus tea, the most important step is choosing lotus. Not all types of lotus can marinate tea. The white lotus is really beautiful, but it is only for plugging, but not for tea because of its light flavor. As for marinating tea, it must be pink lotus because pink lotus has a stronger flavor, “eating tea” more. The pink lotus must be a West Lake lotus, not a kneeling lotus, that is, a lotus without a row of small petals between the outer layer of large petals and the inner layer of pistil. From ancient times until now, Hanoi people necessarily only use Tay Ho – Quang Ba lotus to marinate tea. The lotus here has hundreds of small petals arranged thickly in the lotus, while in other regions the wings are often few and thin, so it is not enough to store the aroma when marinating the tea. In addition, perhaps due to soil conditions, West Lake lotus flowers often have a more fragrant aroma than lotus from other regions. Hanoi does not grow tea, but because there is such a special type of lotus, by default, lotus tea is a Hanoi specialty. Lotus tea must be picked early in the morning, choose flowers with large buds, newly opened wings called flute mouths so that the fragrance is still fragrant and the petals are intact). Lotus must be picked on a sunny day to have a strong scent. In the days and nights before the heavy rain, they did not pick lotus flowers to make tea because the lotus smell was light and the tea was not fragrant. Resources – Lotus flower – Tea: There are many kinds of delicious tea to marinate lotus such as Shan Tuyet tea of Ha Giang, Tan Cuong Thai Nguyen tea, Suoi Ngang tea… Usually, many people use Thai Nguyen tea to marinate lotus tea both deliciously and well. Same with Thai tea, but choosing a hook, hook or nail to marinate depends on the preferences and economy of each person. In the past, the tea used to marinate was usually the previous year’s tea to make the tea less pungent, but now, everything is changed in the industry, so most people ignore this requirement. – Lotus leaves: Choose medium-sized leaves, when wrapping the leaves, they will be soft and easy to pack. Fresh leaves must be dried in the sun a little to wilt. – Lat: The tea bag must be soaked in water to soften. – Plastic bags and vacuum presses (if you don’t have them, rent them). – Porcelain tea bowl, wooden spoon to take tea into the lotus. – Buckets, jars, water pitchers. How to marinate Note After buying lotus flowers, you should quickly marinate the tea in the lotus, do not leave it for too long, the flower will lose its scent, and the tea obtained will not be strong. If the purchased lotus has not been marinated immediately, use a towel dipped in water to wrap the lotus bunch to keep the lotus fresh. When doing the same (if there are many lotuses, they will also cover the lotus with a towel, take it out wherever you go) because the lotus leaves it out in the hot weather very quickly. Before marinating the tea, the embalmer must bathe cleanly, do not use shampoo or shower gel, perfume to ensure that the original incense tea is not mixed. Contraindicated for anyone with sweaty hands. Steps to marinate tea Ms. Vinh Quyen shared: “Called lotus tea, of course, the important ingredients must be tea and lotus. Lotus tea is extremely harmonious, one respects the other and then blends into a charming scent. Put the tea in a porcelain bowl or put it on a tray lined with lotus leaves. Take the lotus flower and gently remove it so that the lotus petals are open to see the lotus mirror. Use a wooden spoon to scoop 15-20 g of tea (depending on each person’s preference for dark and light tea) and gently put it in the bottom of the lotus (use a wooden spoon, not a hand, an iron spoon so that the tea does not have an odor). After putting the tea into the lotus, gently stroke it to rearrange the petals like the original shape. The lotus leaf is cut into quarters, and the flower is wrapped tightly, tied tightly with a ladle. Remember to soak in water because it’s soft to fasten. However, if you tie it tight enough, the lotus leaf will break if you tie it too tight. The lotus package should not be too tight, just enough to hug the flower and keep it closed, there must be enough room for the lotus to “breathe”. After the lotus is filled with tea and sealed, it is plugged into a pot, a bucket of water for 18-24 hours gives the lotus time to “breathe” to infuse all the incense into the tea. After 18-24 hours, cut the lotus and put it in a vacuum sealed plastic bag and freeze it. Lotus tea can be used in the freezer for at least 7 days. Note to avoid contamination of food in the refrigerator, causing the tea to lose its taste. Stored in the freezer continuously, lotus tea can be used from this year’s season to next year’s season. Wish you all success with quality tea lotus flowers!
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