“Tea cannot be rushed, it needs to be felt.”
Having the opportunity to chat with the owner of Nau Tra, a customer affectionately called Ms. Le Nau, I was enlightened when being led deeper into the world of tea. Each place has a different style of tea. At Nau Tra, the tea flavor is not bitter (strong tea), but mainly sweet and fragrant (light tea), this is the typical way of enjoying tea at the shop.
“If you drink strong tea, you will not be able to fully enjoy the aroma of that tea. When you drink weak tea, it has different levels of flavor, you will enjoy it and not miss it. As if the tea is destined to bring, the guests who come to Nau Tra are often tea connoisseurs,” Ms. Le Nau shared.
From tea utensils to the way of making tea and serving guests, every step is done meticulously, exuding sophistication and respect.
There are many tea shops in Hanoi. Each place has its own style. Nau Tra is a very unique corner. The decoration of the space is minimal but leaves a distinct mark. Guests coming here can not only enjoy the exquisite Vietnamese teas, but can also feel the "very affectionate" features emanating from the space, from the simple decorative objects that have gone through the years.
The decoration space at Nau Tra is simple but still creates a unique feature.
Vietnamese tea culture often has the saying: "First water, second tea, third cup, fourth vase, fifth friends". Each person will have different feelings, but Nau Tra still follows that tea culture criteria.
The most important thing and also the first step: the water for making tea must be delicious. The purer the water, the more fragrant and quintessential the tea will be. If the water does not meet the requirements, no matter how delicious the tea is, it will not taste good. According to Ms. Le Nau, the water will first be purified, then put in water jars, and boiled in a silver kettle. The silver kettle absorbs the negative substances in the water and makes it as pure as possible. Therefore, when drinking, it will be as sweet as spring water.
Not only can you drink delicious tea, but at Nau Tra you can also admire the meticulousness in making tea.
“To know how to make basic tea is not too difficult. But to make it well, it depends on each person. Tea has a good thing: it is still the same tea, the same water, but each person makes it to have a different flavor. Sometimes that person's personality is also reflected in the tea. Until now, after a long time of getting used to it, making many types of tea, but now I still practice even though I have opened the shop and also learn from the customers who come here,” said Ms. Le Nau.
In the early days, Ms. Le Nau always thought about how to make a cup of delicious tea, but that concept depends on each person. A cup of delicious tea here is not just limited to a certain standard, but it is suitable for each individual. Many times, guests come here to drink tea silently and listen to music. Because sometimes drinking tea quietly will help to enjoy the delicious taste of the tea, but when drinking in a hurry, you will immediately see the difference.
A very peaceful tea-drinking space at Nau Tra.
The tea at Nau Quan usually comes from trees on the mountain, only one tree in many generations, and the essence of heaven and earth is inherent. Therefore, each tea leaf is cherished.
A cup of good tea
“The simple way to make tea is that you often don’t need much in the way of teapots and cups. Just a teapot, a tea strainer, and a cup are enough to make good tea. You can see the tea water, the color of the tea, and the blooming of the tea leaves instead of putting them in the pot,” said Ms. Le Nau.
Each utensil has its own function. Khai is used to brew tea and watch the water. Tong is used to increase or decrease the temperature. When brewing tea in Khai, never pour it directly into the cup because each time the tea is poured, the tea will be different. But when pouring everything into Tong, the tea will be even and have the same taste.
The simple way to make tea is that often you don't need much teapot or cups. Just a khai, tong, and cup is enough to make good tea. In the picture, from left to right, the tong and khai are
There are many different ways to brew a tea to create a fragrant, sweet taste, and Nau Tra always brews such distinctive cups of tea. With a bitter taste, you won't be able to drink too much, but with a sweet, fragrant tea, you'll be able to relax all day and sleep easily.
Besides, to have a cup of delicious tea also depends on many other external factors such as: weather, tea tree, producer, tea maker... The same tea tree, tea leaves can create many different types. When drinking a lot of tea and accumulating your taste experience, enjoying tea to recognize whether the tea is clean or not will be recognized immediately.
Pu-erh tea block
Tea is considered medicine and is very good for health. Each type of tea has its own advantages. Tea includes main types such as: white, yellow, green, red, black and pu-erh. White tea will help anti-aging, cool the body. Green tea helps lose weight safely, purify the body. Yellow tea, pu-erh cleans the stomach, regulates blood, reduces stress. Ripe pu-erh tea also cures hangovers. Many people drink tea not because it is so delicious, but sometimes there are people who drink it for health. Ms. Le Nau said that the tea line at the shop often comes from trees on the mountain, many generations have only one tree and the essence of heaven and earth is inherent. Therefore, each tea leaf is cherished.
Nibbling on dried plums with a sip of hot tea, so strangely poetic
“At Nau Tra, there is not much formality, it is more about comfort and feeling. I want people to not have to think when coming to Nau Tra, but just focus on experiencing and drinking tea. Each guest will have their own feelings. We reduce everything complicated in the shop and look out to the green trees,” Ms. Le Nau shared more.
