Vietnamese tea traditions

Have you ever wondered about the Vietnamese appreciation of everything connected to tea? In Vietnam, especially in Hanoi, the many local tea traditions demonstrate the nation’s love of tea drinking.

In this article you can learn about the most widespread tea-drinking traditions in Vietnam and see the country in a new light. You can also learn more about Vietnamese tea culture here.

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The hotter, the better

The first tradition focuses on how tea is drunk. The Vietnamese believe that tea has its best flavour in the first few minutes after it has been poured. Because of this, the Vietnamese usually start to drink tea as soon as it has been served.

The Vietnamese drink tea in little sips. For them, it is very important to concentrate on the tea while drinking it in order to appreciate the aroma and harmonious taste. A cup of delicious tea deeply touches the human soul and the tea’s aroma gives unforgettable delight.

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Ceramic tea set

One of the main Vietnamese national customs is keeping the water for tea in a ceramic vessel. The Vietnamese people prefer tea sets made from ceramics or clay.

Popular porcelain tea sets are often decorated with gold paint. The Vietnamese use little teapots and cups, like the Chinese. Vietnamese tea sets often include a large cup for filtering the tea infusion.

Many villages in Vietnam have centuries-long traditions of manufacturing ceramic tea sets.  In the past, the royal family would have ordered personalised tea sets from the villages. Some ceramic masters still use the old techniques to make their ceramic wares.