Discovering cornflower blossoming season in Hue Citadel and sampling lotus tea

Cornflowers in Hue Citadel have begun to bloom, with the beautiful and gentle pink colour making the royal space more romantic and beautiful than ever.

Aside from cornflowers, lotus can be considered an essential part of daily life in Hue, ubiquitous in its landscapes, architecture, culture, and cuisine.

Tra sen Hue or Hue lotus tea is a specialty in Thua Thien-Hue province. Enjoying this tea is a traditional ceremonial art of the imperial city.

During the Nguyen Dynasty in the 1800s, imperial maids used to row to Tinh Tam Lake to collect each dewdrop of the lotus leaves in order to make tea. The maids then served the tea to kings in a different special tea pot for each of the four seasons.

Lotus flowers bloom from April through June. This represents the season when dried tea leaves are traditionally placed in newly-opened lotus flowers which are then tied closed to perfume the tea.

Lotus flowers for fragrant tea should be picked before dawn. Cool air and fog helps to preserve the light and pure fragrance of lotus. After sunrise, the lotus loses its fragrance due to the heat.

In the past, lotus tea was only served to kings in the ancient capital of Hue.

Discovering cornflower blossoming season in Hue Citadel and sampling lotus tea

17-04-2023 15:40

(VOVWORLD) - Contemplating cornflower trees in full bloom and tasting lotus tea are some of the unmissable activities for tourists to try during their trips to Hue Imperial Citadel in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.