Exploring the exquisite production process of high-quality tea

A production team in Hanoi’s Thuong Tin district has combined these two types of tea, Shan Tuyet and Bach Diep and created a product that caters to even the most demanding tea drinkers.

Pham The Duyet who lives and works in Nghiem Xa hamlet, Nghiem Xuyen commune, Thuong Tin district, Hanoi, is an expert in creating aromatic tea for many years. He has successfully created this unique combination. Prices range from 340 USD to 634 USD per kilogram. But the supply is still insufficient to meet the customers’ demand.

Pham The Duyet uses the Shan Tuyet ancient tea, which grows on Tây Côn Lĩnh mountain of Ha Giang province, as an ingredient to aromatize his tea.

In addition to the one-bud – two-leaf type, Duyet’s factory also produces white tea from the one-bud type.

Every year in June, when the pink lotus flowers bloom, Duyet’s workers wake up at dawn to cut the lotus flowers, and so prepare a new harvest.

Immediately after being cut, the lotus flowers are brought home to separate the stamens and obtain the lotus stamen rice. Harvesting the lotus at this time results in the most fragrant scent. Duyet explains that late-cut lotus flowers, when exposed to sunlight, gradually lose their aroma.

Blending lotus tea adheres to strict disciplines to ensure an authentic and fragrant taste. This includes avoiding clothing washed with scented fabric softener, wearing perfumes, and eating or preparing strongly scented foods like jackfruit or durian.

The most difficult step is separating the stamen from the lotus flower. It requires skillful and fast hands to keep the stamen intact, preserving the distinctive fragrance of the lotus. The lotus stamen, once separated, retains the lotus flower’s fragrance and is used to enhance the aroma of the Shan Tuyet tea.

For blended lotus tea, the tea leaves are placed directly into the lotus flower and tightly wrapped with lotus leaves. The bundle is then soaked in water for a few hours before being vacuum-packed and stored in a refrigerator. This type of tea costs about 3.50 USD per flower, each one equivalent to one pot of tea.

For dried lotus tea, the process involves repeated periods of aromatization and drying. Each tea blender has a different formula for steeping their tea.

To produce 1 kilogram of dried lotus tea, it takes 1,200 - 1,500 fresh lotus flowers and over 20 days of preparation and drying.

Recently, many people have become curious about the lotus tea blended with Shan Tuyet tea. They visit Duyet’s factory to experience the process firsthand. Visitors have the opportunity to witness the tea-making process and understand why the tea is so expensive, as it involves many intricate and meticulous steps. Additionally, visitors can personally aromatize the lotus tea as a gift for their loved ones, according to Diem Hang, a visitor who experienced this.

Due to its complexity and intricate method of processing, the Shan Tuyet – Bach Diep tea from Duyet’s factory still faces a supply shortage in spite of its exorbitant price.