Realizing that consumers' tastes are increasingly focused on green, clean and natural factors to protect their health, a group of students from Da Nang-headquartered private Duy Tan University have successfully researched a tea made from water lilies. The ‘Artistic Blooming Tea from Blue Water Lily’ is more than just a cup of tea, it delivers a stunning visual experience. When brewed, the tea blossoms gracefully, creating a mesmerizing display in the teapot. This product harmoniously blends nature and art, showcasing DTU students' creativity and research capabilities.

A group of students from the Duy Tan University successfully researched a type of artistic blooming tea from lotus flowers.

Accordingly, a group of six students namely Le Thi Huong Lan, Duong Thi My Phuong, Tran Pham Huong Ly, Hoang Thi Ngoc Tai, Vo Thi Thuy Tram and Phan Diep Lam have worked hard to research the market; the characteristics and nutritional components of water lilies; how to make the tea balls "bloom" into flowers when brewing to bring excitement and create a feeling of relaxation for the enjoyer from the product ‘Artistic blooming tea from blue water lilies".

However, from the idea and passion to produce a satisfactory product, the group spent a lot of time and effort. Ms. My Phuong said that there were many types of herbal tea on the market, rich in form and diverse in uses.

During the research and development process, the group always wanted to find products that were new and they ensured the criteria of deliciousness, nutrition and safety for users.
Water lily tea is widely used in many cultures around the world, especially in Indian and Chinese cultures, in Viet Nam it is still a fairly new ingredient.

“Many studies on blue water lilies have proven that this flower contains important biological active substances such as alkaloids, flavonoids and phenolics, which have the ability to naturally fight oxidation and inflammation, supporting health improvement.

In addition, some studies have shown that water lily tea extract has the potential to reduce stress, aid sleep, strengthen the immune system, lose weight and reduce blood sugar levels,” My Phuong added. After the survey, the group purchased lotus flowers from a cooperative in the city.

Blue water lilies are combined with roses and jasmine flowers to make tea through two drying processes. In the first drying process, the group usually choose the appropriate humidity so that the blue lotus petals can have moderate flexibility and are not crushed. Then the blue water lilies are mixed with other ingredients, pressed into a mold and dried a second time to ensure that the tea balls are firmly compressed.

Each tea ball is about 3cm in size, after brewing it will expand to about 9cm in size. The expansion depends on the temperature of the water and the steeping time. On average, one tea ball needs 300-500 ml of boiling water for about 5 to 7 minutes. When brewed with water, the petals will absorb water and expand slowly but still retain their shape and not break. The tea can be stored for about 3 to 6 months.

The product not only demonstrates creativity, skillfully combining three types of flowers but also brings something new, helping users have moments of enjoyment, interesting experiences when they see the water lilies are meticulously woven together to form tea balls, which gradually bloom like flowers when making tea.

The raw materials for production are carefully tested by the research team to ensure strict chemical and microbiological indicators to ensure their quality.

The production process is optimized, keeping the nutritional content at the highest level. The blooming lotus tea product is assessed to meet TCVN 7975:2008 quality.

According to Ms. My Phuong, in the coming time, the group will continue to research, perfect the product with the goal of commercialisation and publishing related articles in scientific journals.

In addition, from this product research, the group plans to expand the research to produce other product lines from water lilies such as tea bags and kombucha tea..., or many blooming tea products from new materials to meet consumer tastes.

With this product, the group can purchase flowers in large quantities from farmers, contributing to expanding the raw material area, creating jobs as well as opening new directions for water lily growers.

This project won the first prize in the field of science and technology at the Duy Tan University Student Scientific Research Conference in 2024.

At the end of November, this entry surpassed more than 50 topics from 30 schools, units and a number of localities to win the first prize in the post-harvest processing technology category at the 2024 Post-harvest Processing Technology Competition organized by the Centre for Development of Science and Technology among Young People in collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade.

The judging panel praised the product for its creativity. While most previous tea products primarily utilized lotus plants, this team focused on water lilies, a plant known for its medicinal properties. The team developed a tea that combines health benefits with breathtaking artistry, offering tea lovers a unique and fresh experience.

Reporting by MINH LAN - Translating by A.THU