Tay Ho cuisine

One of the most outstanding specialties from Hanoi's West Lake is lotus tea, a special tea seasoned with the fragrance of West Lake lotus flowers. Thai Nguyen's premium green tea combined with the distinctive aroma of West Lake lotus petals brings a refreshing yet bittersweet drink.

After being picked early in the morning, the seeds on the anther of the flower known as "lotus rice" are quickly separated. Milky white lotus rice grains, as big and round as "yellow flower glutinous rice", are mixed with dried green tea and stored in a sealed jar for about one to two days. When the lotus rice grains are dry and the tea leaves have completely absorbed the lotus flavor, the artisan will steam the tea with charcoal or steam.

After first marinating, the old lotus rice grains will be removed and replaced with fresh rice grains. This process was repeated nine times for one kilogram of tea over the course of 27 days and nights. Especially, after the final drying stage, the West Lake lotus-flavored tea is carefully screened, packaged and preserved according to the traditional method: boiled and sun-dried in glass bottles, then waxed. melted to cover the mouth of the pot, so that the new tea can be preserved for a long time.

The recipe for preserving and drying tea is the deciding factor and only those who have been making tea for a long time in the West Lake region know how to flavor lotus rice tea perfectly.
Talking about West Lake cuisine, it is impossible not to mention shrimp cakes. This is the specialty that has made the reputation of the lake. Starting from a rustic dish, Ho Tay shrimp cake has become a precious delicacy of Hanoi capital. Hanoians often like to enjoy shrimp cakes at restaurants along the road to Tay Ho. Shrimp cakes must be eaten while still hot to enjoy crispy shrimp. Should be served with sour food, a few raw vegetables and sauces with enough basic sour, spicy, salty and sweet flavors.
The long-standing flour cake shop at 198 Thuy Khue Street is also a destination not to be missed when wandering around West Lake. This is the place where you can enjoy the best filter cake in Hanoi. West Lake filter cake is made from land shrimp caught in the lake. Unlike Hue filter cake, Thuy Khue filter cake is eaten with broth made from pork and pork bones. The cakes are soft, fresh and sweet shrimp are dipped with special broth to create one-of-a-kind cakes.

Hoa Beo's "cake" is also one of the specialties of West Lake. The cakes here are especially delicious with the soft, fragrant crust of glutinous rice, the filling made from minced pork shoulder along with thinly sliced ​​wood ear and shiitake mushrooms. The shop is near Ly Tu Trong flower garden, the intersection between Thanh Nien street and Thuy Khue street. Even though it's just a small place to eat, it's always crowded. The patrons named the shop after the owner's nickname, Miss Hoa Beo.
The dishes made from snails are a must-try specialty when coming to West Lake. Ba Gia snail shop is one of the oldest and most delicious snail shops in this area. Although it is a small shop behind Chu Van An primary school, located on a section of Thuy Khue street by West Lake, the shop is always crowded with customers, especially students from nearby schools. The restaurant "Ba Gia" is a rustic snail shop with familiar dishes such as boiled snails, scrambled quail eggs, steamed clams, fried spring rolls, french fries, and other dishes. Particularly, large snails steamed with lemon leaves are the most delicious because the snails keep their crispy, soft, and fatty texture. In particular, the sauce is elaborately prepared with many ingredients such as ginger, lemongrass, chili, kumquat, lemon leaves, snail broth to create an indescribably delicious taste. To keep the traditional rustic flavor, the dish is served with pickled figs and star fruit.

Today, West Lake is a popular picnic destination for Hanoians. This is the place where Ha Thanh people often come to cool off, watch the sunset, or relax by cycling around the lake. But to be fair, West Lake cuisine is also a unique feature that makes this area famous. When returning from abroad, Hanoians want to go to West Lake to enjoy the taste of dishes that have contributed to honoring the long-standing culture of the capital.