Overview
The lotus is Vietnam's national flower and an important plant both culturally and agriculturally. The lotus flower, seeds (lotus seeds), root (lotus root), stem, and leaves are all used for food, medicine, and decoration. In particular, lotus tea (Tra sen) is known as a representative premium Vietnamese tea, and lotus seeds are in demand as an ingredient for sweets and herbal medicine.
Growing regions and areas
Dong Thap Province is Vietnam's largest lotus producing area, known as the 'land of lotuses'. The lotus fields of the Tam Nong district have also become a well-known tourist attraction. Mekong Delta Lotus is grown throughout the province, with a total cultivation area of about 40,000 hectares. The lotus grown around West Lake (Tay Ho) in Hanoi is also famous as an ingredient for lotus tea.
Cultivation methods and harvest season
The lotus harvest runs from June to September, and the flowers are harvested in the early morning. The production of lotus tea uses a traditional method in which petals are hand-picked from lotus flowers that open in the early morning and layered alternately with tea leaves to transfer the fragrance. Making 1 kg of lotus tea requires about 1,000 to 1,500 lotus flowers. Lotus seeds are harvested from August to October and are eaten fresh or dried.
Exports and market trends
The export scale of lotus products is limited, but they are exported as high value-added products such as lotus tea, dried lotus seeds, and lotus-stem fiber. Lotus tea is traded at high prices both at home and abroad as a premium product. Lotus seeds are exported to China, South Korea, and Japan, and demand as a health food is increasing.
Connections with Japan
In Japan, Vietnamese lotus tea is sold as a premium Vietnamese tea. Dried lotus seeds are available at Asian grocery stores and are sometimes used as an ingredient in amanatto and zenzai. Vietnam's lotus silk (cloth woven from fiber extracted from lotus stems) is also drawing attention in Japan's high-end textile market.
