Trà Việt
Edit CompanyPopular Teas from Trà Việt
See All 1 TeasRecent Tasting Notes
Today is one of those rainy days that had me wandering out into the world alone. Downtown. I forgot this place existed. I’m half-joking here, considering I’ve been to the pool hall a few times in the past few months. But really, I’m such a shut-in. Today’s mission was only to get my cellphone screen and glass replaced then get some Teaberry gum from the candy store around the corner and wait out the repair. Except around the other corner is a Vietnamese restaurant that doesn’t cater to bland palates, like the one close to my house. Despite having had a bowl of soup a few hours earlier, I soon found myself sitting at a table with a big pot of tea and a rice noodle plate.
This tea was served, already brewed, in a large ceramic pot. The green tea was a good Vietnamese green, a little fruity, and the ginseng provided a hint of rooty, bitter-astringent zing and visceral warmth. The pandan leaf took it over the top. Toasted rice, vanilla, coconut, wafers. Supreme comfort. Dessert tea. Of course I drank the entire pot.
The smells and tastes, the overcast day. It was like being back in Vietnam. Including having no cellphone. I wish I could be rid of that thing. Heck, I could probably get by without it considering I no longer need one for work. Sometimes I feel like such a Luddite.
We’re getting there (down to 44 teas)!
This was such a good find in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon and I will miss its “toasted coconut rice with a dash of pineapple” profile. I should have sent this out to people but I got greedy- and no one else likes green tea, right? It appears impossible to buy this brand outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which is one of the saddest tea related things I’ve seen this year.
Until next time, delicious Vietnamese tea.
Preparation
I picked this one tea in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon while on a guided tour through the Vietnam History Museum. There was a tea demonstration and sampling at the entrance, and the only reason(s) I didn’t come out with more tea was because I was suffering from heat exhaustion/dehydration/a three week long stomach bug, and it muddled my senses too much to do math and steal my family’s remaining đồng (₫). Man, I was sick beyond words. But tea.
Anyways, I really liked this one in my near-delirious haze, and I like it now that I’m back home. The dry leaf smells delicious. It’s sweet, toasted, slightly malty, and slightly vegetal. A vanilla ice cream in a fancy waffle cone and pineapple fried rice both come to mind. Also, strangely like Golden Moon’s Coconut Pouchong. The flavour has a similar toasty sweet-malt profile with a slight bitter-astringent nip that can be attributed to the ginseng.
I’d probably pick this up again if it was easy and convenient to do so for the aroma alone! It’s just an indicator that I need to explore the world of green tea more.
Flavors: Coconut, Malt, Pineapple, Toasted Rice
Sounds like a perfect moment. And a fine tea.
I didn’t know you have been to Vietnam! How exciting!
Sounds like a pleasant day and an interesting tea. Was Vietnam a good tea destination? I’ve had some nice Vietnamese oolongs.
This is such a lovely tea and this note is relatable (what is “downtown”?). A perfect accompaniment to a rainy day :)
@Leafhopper,imho Vietnam is a fantastic tea (and coffee) destination. You can buy a lot of different types of good quality loose tea for affordable prices in market places – although it’s sometimes hard to determine what’s what. I got to sample a few teas from this company, Trà Việt, when they had a tasting at a museum and they were all enjoyable. According to their website, this one is 129,000 dong/100g which is approx $7.29 CAD.
I don’t own, and have never owned a cell phone! The hardest part is convincing the REST of the world that only accomodating to cell phone users (this is especially true during the pandemic) is a problem. But I still won’t cave in. :-)
Cell phones, I only have one since it is tied to a business. Othe rthan that on the weekends it is set op the charger and only picked up on Monday.
No cellphone here either (and quite happily so).
What a delicious sounding day!
I admire you no cell phone people. Mine gets muted at night and sometimes not turned on at all for the weekend. The hell if my precious sleep is going to be interrupted by dings or vibrations.
Sadly, when I was in Vietnam, I wasn’t yet into tea though I did coffee my brains out.
Luddite, that sounds like a tea brand. I used to call myself social retard, but actually found smart phone overwhelming. I can’t wear jewelry and/ or watches either. The last phone I got was from chinese shop and it was meant for Nigerian market. I am sure someone is listening to my conversations. Pandang, that’s a powerful imagery.