Lotus in Vietnamese culture is a rustic, rustic country, although living in mud still rising straight and bright. This is a flower close to the Vietnamese people, representing the beauty in the soul of Vietnamese people, “near the mud but not smelling of mud”, although the circumstances of the nation are always aimed at values immediately. straight, beautiful. Although the workers have never been officially “national flower”, but the lotus is always silently unconscious in many aspects of Vietnamese life, including the cuisine aspect.
In fact, Vietnam is not the only ethnic group to use lotus for cooking, but most of the countries only use lotus seeds and a few other parts. The use of both leaves and lotus and scent is more common with us, as evidenced by the following traditional Vietnamese dishes:
Rice made from lotus in the palace
Hue royal cuisine is known for its sophistication, elegance, and lotus rice which perfectly represents these two things. Lotus rice is made from the most fragrant sticky rice seeds, cooked with fragrant lotus seeds. Not only that, the rice has a deep aroma, Hue people also put rice in the leaves and flowers and pack it. Because the capital is awake, every stage of preparation from taste to presentation must be beautiful and elegant. The image of lotus rice is surrounded by pink petals and delicate green leaf sheaths that give a very rustic impression but equally as precious.
Lotus tea
Lotus tea is a beauty in Vietnamese tea aspect. However, it is necessary to distinguish lotus tea and lotus heart tea. Lotus heart tea is easy to understand, made from bitter lotus heart, makes it easy to sleep. And lotus tea is often seen as lotus flavored tea, the most famous is scented tea from Ho Tay lotus flowers. West Lake is located in the land of spirituality, many tea artisans think that the lotus in this lake absorbs many earth and air spirits, so it has more aroma than the lotus of other countries.
There are many ways to embalm lotus tea such as marinated tea with lotus rice taken from sweet flowers, marinated in lotus leaves for a long time so that the tea leaves imbue the fragrant aroma. Many people like to wake up early in the morning, bring tea to the lotus lake and then choose the freshest, most beautiful lotus flowers, gently cradling the petals and putting the tea in the tea. Waiting for one day a night, the tea is finished, just cut the lotus and take the tea out. Lotus tea is brought to drink, and lotus is brought in a beautiful jar to make. Lotus tea has a normal green tea base, but after being marinated, add a pure, sweet fragrance of the lotus.
Tea label lotus seed
Tea labeled with fragrant lotus lotus seed is a cooling tea dish eaten in the summer of Hue people. Little change a bowl of tea but very elaborate. In the past, when there were no lotus seeds available for sale, the family women had to take lotus seeds from fresh lotus seeds, separate lotus heart to avoid bitterness. The label must use a sharp knife to peel the shell so well, just enough to put the lotus seed inside without tearing. Tea is cooked with alum sugar, in hot weather, it is both sweet and fragrant, it also has the effect of cooling down.
‘Cốm”
Cốm and lotus leaves can be said to be a “heavenly couple”, where there are nuggets, there must be lotus leaves. This is a traditional gift of Hanoi people in autumn. Blue lotus leaf is a good package of green nuggets, such as wrapping the whole collection of Hanoi. Not only Cốm , but dishes like cereal, rolls are almost always with lotus leaves. The fragrant nuggets were fragrant, the lotus leaves were fragrant, the two fragrances were mixed together to hear the rustic and cute, associated with the childhood of many people of the Capital.
Packet of lotus leaves
In Vietnamese cuisine, lotus leaves are not as popular as banana leaves or coconut leaves, but in many regions, people prefer to use lotus leaves to pack dishes made from sticky rice like sticky rice. There is no lotus material, but at the last stage, delicious hot sticky pieces are “cuddled” by the lotus leaf with a soft, sweet smell.
