Do Vietnamese people drink tea? – Definitely, the answer is Yes. If wine is the beauty of the West, for Asians, the cultural quintessence is expressed in the cups of tea. Drinking tea is no longer just a daily habit of Vietnamese people but also an art that requires the meticulousness and ingenuity of tea makers and tea drinkers.

Tea is now a part of Vietnamese cultural behavior that demonstrates the hospitality and sophistication of Vietnamese people. In the article, we will bring a glimpse of the long-standing habit in Vietnam to you.

Vietnamese people drink tea on ordinary days
Vietnamese people drink tea on ordinary days and important holidays of the year.

1. Tea drinking is an indispensable habit of Vietnamese people

Vietnamese love to drink tea. It is an indispensable good habit in the daily life of people here. Tea is drunk everywhere and every time: at home, at work, even in sidewalk tea shops, at formal occasions, celebrations, events, or burials, etc.

1.1. Tea drinking in everyday life

Vietnamese people usually start a day by making tea. In the early morning, when they wake up, the first thing they do is boil water and make a pot of tea. In a sense, Vietnamese mornings start with a cup of tea. Nowadays, when the world gets busier, tea is still consumed regularly by everyone during work breaks.

A teapot can gather people to discuss social issues or simply share stories in daily life. For Vietnamese, it is customary that the host offers the best tea to the guest of honor. There is a whole culture to explore through this small tea custom. Therefore, it won’t dive in any further here.

Vietnamese drink tea regardless of the seasons. A cup of iced tea on a hot summer day not only brings refreshment and detoxifies your body. In winter, a cup of hot green tea warms you up inside making the day cozier.

Drinking tea at the Vietnamese street corner
Drinking tea is an indispensable part of Vietnamese people’s day.

1.2. Tea drinking during Tet holidays

Tet is a gathering occasion for Vietnamese families. People always visit relatives and wish each other good health. Tea is always there during those joyful moments of connection during Vietnamese Tet. The custom of drinking tea has retained its own beauty since the early days.

Tea drinking in Vietnamese tradition during the Tet holiday
Tea drinking has beacomed Vietnamese tradition during the Tet holiday (Lunar New Year)

1.3. Tea appears at weddings

Tea is an indispensable item in Vietnamese Wedding Ceremonies. The bride and groom serve tea to show respect to both sides of the family and guests who come to share the joy with the family.

drinking tea in Vietnamese wedding
Serving tea to the older people in the family is an important rite in the wedding ceremony of Vietnamese people.

2. The signature of Vietnamese tea drinking culture

Vietnamese tea culture has a 4000-year history intertwining with the country’s construction and defense. However, the Vietnamese tea drinking style also had changed when in contact with other tea cultures like Chinese, Japanese, and Western during these 4000 years.

In the past, tea was considered a high-class drink. It was only consumed by kings or used by the elite and noble families. As a result, the rituals for making and drinking tea are sophisticated. They drink tea in poetry talks, political discussions or welcome esteemed guests, etc.

A tea session of old Vietnamese mandarins in the past century
A tea session of old Vietnamese mandarins in the past century

Later on, however, the Vietnamese tea-drinking culture spread throughout the country, regardless of rich or poor. Whether noble or a commoner, in a market stall or high-class restaurant…, anyone can enjoy a cup of hot tea. Vietnamese people use tea on significant events such as Tet, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, and even ordinary days.

The art of enjoying tea in Vietnam is different from other Asian countries. The Japanese have a sophisticated art of drinking tea that includes many important rituals and has become a world-famous tea ceremony.

Although China does not adhere to the same standards and strict rules as the Japanese tea ceremony, beauty and sophistication are always the first priority. And in Vietnam, we enjoy tea with simplicity and closeness while still keeping elegance. The special thing in Vietnamese tea culture is expressing respect, sincerity when enjoying tea together.

Vietnamese drink tea
Vietnamese tea drinking style is not as complicated as many other cultures.

So how to make a delicious cup of Vietnamese tea? Let’s go to learn about it.

3. How to make a cup of tea in Vietnamese style

Making tea in Vietnamese style is not complicated. It doesn’t require people to be experts. However, it’s also not simple. You need to keep in mind the basic steps of making tea, including dry tea, which is brewed with boiling water in a teapot and poured into a cup to enjoy.

The key to making good tea is to consider three factors: water temperature, tea amount, and steeping time.

Kinds of tea Water temperature Steeping time Tea amount
White tea 80 – 85 degrees Celsius 45 seconds 8g tea for 300ml
Green tea in midland (Thai Nguyen tea) 60 – 65 degrees Celsius < 5 seconds
Green tea of Shan Tuyet tea tree 70 – 75 degrees Celsius 30 seconds
Semi-fermented tea

40% – 60% (green oolong tea)

70-75 degrees Celsius 30 seconds
Semi-fermented tea

60% – 80%

80 – 85 degrees Celsius 30 seconds
100% Fermented Tea

(black tea, cake tea, herbal tea)

99 degrees Celsius 45 – 60 seconds

Please note that the way of making Vietnamese tea as above is only a suggestion; depending on whether you prefer a strong or mild flavor, you can adjust the brewing time and amount of tea. To avoid soaking the tea, pour all the tea infusions out of the teapot each time you brew tea.

drinking tea on television show
The next time you continue to do the same steps, you will have teacups with different flavors after each brewing, which will increase the excitement when drinking tea.

Click here for more information about Vietnamese tea recipe!

4. What kind of tea do Vietnamese drink?

There are many kinds of tea people love to drink in Vietnam. Here are 5 significant names:

4.1. Green tea

Tea connoisseurs are always drawn to and fascinated by the renowned kinds of Vietnamese green tea. The infusion of tea is transparent, light green, and shiny yellow. The genuine aroma is scattered, enthused, and extremely alluring. The natural astringent taste, followed by a rich sweetness, captures people’s hearts.

Vietnamese frequently drink green tea from Thai Nguyen or Ha Giang. With a non-oxidation production process, green tea is rich in tannin and antioxidants. These substances help fight against cancer, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

Vietnam is famous for flower-scented tea, such as Tay Ho lotus tea, jasmine tea, etc. Because Vietnamese people like enjoying teas with pleasant aromas from flowers. The type of tea is made from green tea and flowers.

Green tea is the main ingredient to make iced tea, lemon tea which are popular and favorite drinks of the youth.

foreigners drink tea in Vietnam
Iced tea is a favorite drink of Vietnamese people, even foreigners.

4.2. Black tea

If green tea is used much in the East, black tea is the most loved tea in the West. After hundreds of years of cultural interference, now black tea (red tea) has become a familiar drink all over the world, beyond the borders of Europe and America.

Vietnamese black tea leaves have a long shelf life. Its infusion is amber or reddish-black with a strong flavor. Nowadays, people use black tea as a primary component for making milk tea.

Black tea

Black tea is also well-known for its caffeine content. The caffeine in black tea is more than green or white tea but much less than coffee. It contains antioxidants and compounds that are beneficial to health.

4.3. Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is now one of Vietnam’s most well-known drinks. This tea is well-liked for its diversity and ease of consumption. Compared to green tea, oolong tea is lighter, having a very faint acerbic flavor. It has a variety of flavors, including chestnuts, honey, woody, etc.

Vietnamese Oolong tea is described as a cross between green and black tea. Unlike green tea which is not oxidized, or black tea is entirely fermented, oolong tea leaves are only semi-fermented during the production process. The half oxidation process characterizes oolong tea leaves.

Oolong tea is good for health, such as antioxidants, weight loss, and cancer. The combination of oolong tea with a variety of fruits will create a drink that is both delicious and nutritious.

an Vietnamese tea set
A golden-green color is a typical feature of Vietnamese oolong tea

4.4. Scented tea

Vietnamese add flowers to traditional tea to make it more fragrant. The most commonly used flowers in scented tea are lotus and jasmine, which produce a distinct and attractive flavor.

It takes time and effort to make Vietnamese lotus tea. To ensure the freshness of the tea, Vietnamese artisans collect lotus flowers in the early morning while the dew is still on the leaves.

Jasmine tea is another remarkable Vietnamese scented tea that needs specific preparation. To make traditional jasmine tea, people pick jasmine flowers in the late evening, when the flowers are at their most fragrant.

Vietnamese lotus tea
Vietnamese lotus tea is a special artisan tea in Vietnamese

4.5. Herbal tea

In Vietnam, herbal tea is a popular type of tea. Because there are so many different herbs growing here, Vietnamese people frequently use them in their food and drinks. Herbs’ main characteristics are their health benefits and their aesthetic appearance.

Vietnam’s climate is suitable for herb planting.  Therefore, there are many herbal teas in Vietnam, such as ginger tea, lemongrass tea, artichoke tea, hibiscus tea, chamomile tea, etc.

Vietnamese ginger tea
Vietnamese love drinking ginger tea because it brings many benefits for health

Related post: 5 Vietnamese herbal tea recipes you can do by yourself easily

If you need any kinds of tea mentioned above, please find a reliable tea brand in Vietnam. FGC is the largest tea exporter in Vietnam with 15 tea factories and 60 tea gardens all around the country. FGC’s tea products are exported to more than 50 countries in the world such as Russia, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Taiwan, China, etc.

If you are interested in FGC’s kinds of tea, please contact us by followings:

So, after all, do Vietnamese drink tea? Yes, we do and tea-drinking culture has becomed an indispensable part of our life. If you want to taste the perfect Vietnamese tea with the reasonable price, contact and become FGC partners today!

Author: Ms. Tuyet Mai – Sales Executive (mai.dtt@vietnam-tea.com).

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