How to prepare

How to make tea: 

Choosing the right kind of water for tea making is also as important as choosing tea or a teapot. Spring water or purified water should be used. A general rule is to use a small teapot for green tea or Oolong tea, and use a large teapot for red tea. Beside teapot, people should have Vietnamese-style large tea cups or Chinese-style teapot. There are some large cups made from purple sand and some light chinese cups called egg shell cups. Every people has their own taste, however, Tram Anh advises to select unglazed clay teapot and glazed clay cups. Each teapot should be used to make one kind of tea in order to have the original flavour. There are 3 main elements to make any kinds of tea:

- The quantity of tea
- Water temperature
- Steeping time.

Hereunder is a Tea recipe presented by Tram Anh at the Week of Tea Culture held at Hanoi in 2000.

1. Required tea wares include: A teapot, a tea boat (a big boat-shaped or round bowl). A tub (oval or rectangle shaped, used to contain rinse water), the tub cover is a plate with a hole for leaking water, used to hold teacups. A tea box and boiling water. Tea-wares in Vietnamese traditional recipe include: A teapot(with a deep dish to hold the teapot). A large tea cup (with a dish) and 4 small cups (with dishes).

2. Rinse teacups with hot water for warming.

3. Fill teapot approximately half full with tea leaves.

4. Fill hot water into the teapot until it overflows the tea boat, cover the teapot (called the first water).

5. About 15 seconds, drain the rinse water into the large bowl, leave the tea leaves soaked.

6. Then fill boiling water into the teapot and cover it. Steep tea leaves for about 45 seconds to 1 minute.

7. Fill the large bowl with additional boiling water up to half of the teapot.

8. Rotate the cups in the large bowl for washing. Arrange cups on the tub.

9. Pick up the teapot after 45 minutes. Wipe water at the teapot bottom.

10. Pour the tea into the cups by moving the teapot around over the cups, serve the guests first.

11. Drinking Tea: Drink slowly to enjoy the tea flavour on chatting.

How to make a good teapot:

First, rinse the tea pot and cups quickly with boiling water. This gets them well-heated so that tea will be kept hot longer. The three main elements of tea recipe are tea quantity, water temperature and steeping time. Tea should be made to your own taste. It is recommended to mix 3 gram of tea with 150cc of boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes. To this recipe, we just add boiling water for one time. If smaller teapot is used, fill it approximately half full with tea leaves, pour boiling water over it and drain water out immediately (this is rinse water, not for drinking). Then fill the pot to the top with more hot water, cover it and wait for 1 minute until the bubbles appear on the spout. Pour tea into cups and enjoy it. Increase the steeping time for the next rounds up to 15 seconds. The tea quality of the next teacups should be the same as the first.

We should have tea filtered before pouring it into cups to avoid residue.

It is said that Japanese tea ceremony emphasizes ceremony while the Chinese emphasize tea tastes and the Vietnamese seek for the harmony among people, tea flavor, and nature in a cup of tea.

Anyway, it is easier to seek for a delicious tea box or an expensive tea pot than to seek for a peaceful mind and scene. But a truly savoury cup of tea will make drinkers reach the tranquility in their souls and find their own ways of living.

How to make a cup of coffee:

- Put 3 spoons of coffee powder into the filter.

- Shake and press slightly

- Pour some boiling water (100º) into the filter. Let coffee in the filter absorbed and mixed in 1 minute

- Pour more boiling water over it

- Add sugar or milk into the cup.

You will have a delicious cup of coffee. Enjoy yourself.

How to make Artichoke tea:

- Put a bag of Artichoke into a glass, pour boiling water and wait for 3 – 5 minutes
- Remove the tea bag.
- Add sugar sufficiently, serve hot or cold to your own taste.

Tram Anh Tea- Coffee wish you a truly savory cup of tea or coffee. Enjoy yourself!