Published:  11:01 Monday - January 02, 2012

Lotus is a symbol of purity and very familiar with Vietnamese people. Food from lotus also brings the elegance and rusticity. With longan and lotus, the especial-flavor dish is created and considered the quintessence of the heaven and earth.

Containing longan fruit pieces and lotus seeds, this kind of tea is fragrant with a full-bodied taste. The original and naturally flavored beverage is rich in glucose, sucrose, proteins, and other minerals. Longan flesh is sweet and contains niacin, which aids metabolism and keeps the skin, nervous, and digestive systems healthy. Lotus seeds can treat nervous depression and sleeplessness.

Longan and lotus tea is a nourishing drink with natural sweetness. When both of the ingredients combined, it is effective in fighting against anemia and fatigue, and boosting energy levels. Or in other words, they are good in building blood and regenerating Qi. It has a pleasant taste and high nutritional value, and is recognized as valuable medicinal herb.

The flavoured tea is tasty and refreshing; and can easily satisfy your thirst as well as refresh your minds. The rich composition of natural nutrient factors entails the tea with healthy characters, which makes you keep up your spirits among the clean, free and happy mood. If you would like to make a cup of the flavoured tea yourself, you are able to try the simple direction as follows:

INGREDIENTS (serving: 5 – 6 small bowls)

200g fresh Lotus Seeds (unblanched & cored) or 100g dried Lotus Seeds

300g fresh Longan fruits (thick flesh preferred)

150g sugar (or to taste)

1 tbsp Tapioca powder

METHOD:

1. Rinse the lotus seeds thoroughly, and simmer in a pot at low heat until tender (1 hour for fresh lotus seeds and 2 hours for dried lotus seeds). Remove the seeds carefully with a slotted spoon onto a plate and leave it to cool. Reserve the Lotus Seed cooking water.

2. Peel the Longans and carefully decore the Longan seeds. Make sure that you do not break the fruit flesh. This is a test of patience and my success rate until this day is about 90%.

3. Insert a lotus seed in each Longan. Meanwhile, bring the lotus seed cooking water back to boil, add sugar and the filled longans. Simmer at low heat for about 2 minutes. Mix tapioca powder into a 1/2 a cup water and add the mixture slowly into the pot while stirring. Bring back to boil at low heat, while stirring gently. Remove from heat, scoop into small bowls and let cool. You can either serve it at room temperature or chill it before serving.