Tubho tea

Tubho tea (sometimes spelled tubha), is a traditional herbal tea of the Ivatan people in the Philippines made from dried leaves of the tubho fern.

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How is it made?

Traditional Vietnamese tubho tea is prepared from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which is indigenous to the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam. The tea's distinctive flavor and aroma are the consequence of the region's special growing conditions and traditional processing techniques.

Harvesting and fermentation

The leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are harvested by hand, wilted, rolled, and fermented in a multi-day process. The leaves are then sun-dried and manually sifted to remove contaminants. The finished result is a dark green tea with a robust aroma, a tinge of smokiness, and a touch of sweetness.

Vietnamese methods

Phin

One of the most common methods for preparing Tubho tea is to use a traditional Vietnamese teapot known as a "phin." In order to brew tea in a phin, the tea leaves are placed in the upper chamber of the teapot, and then hot water is added. After allowing the tea to steep for several minutes, the beverage is poured into a cup through the spout.

Tra

Another popular method of consuming Tubho tea is by preparing the traditional Vietnamese tea-based beverage known as "tra." The brewed Tubho tea leaves are poured to a saucepan of boiling water and sugar is added to taste to produce tra. After pouring the mixture over ice, it is served in a glass.

Che

Tubho tea can also be used to produce "che," a traditional sweetened Vietnamese tea. For the preparation of che, Tubho tea leaves are soaked in hot water and chilled. Served chilled, the liquid is poured over a blend of sweeteners such as sugar, honey, or condensed milk.

Recipe

Here is a recipe for making traditional Tubho tea:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of dried Tubho tea leaves
• 1 traditional Vietnamese teapot (phin)
• Hot water (just off the boil)

Instructions:

1. Begin by heating a kettle of water until it reaches just off the boil.
2. Place the dried Tubho tea leaves in the top chamber of the phin.
3. Slowly pour the hot water over the leaves, filling the top chamber of the phin.
4. Allow the tea to steep for 2-3 minutes.
5. Place the phin on top of a cup or small teapot and press down on the filter to release the tea into the cup or teapot.
6. Serve and enjoy the tea plain or with a little sugar to taste.

Note: You can adjust the steeping time to your liking, for a stronger tea steep for a little longer, and for a weaker tea, steep for a shorter time.

You can also enjoy Tubho tea in the traditional Vietnamese tea-based drink called "tra" by adding sugar to the brewed tea and pour it over ice, and in the traditional Vietnamese sweetened tea called "che" by steeping the tea leaves, cool it and pour it over sweeteners such as sugar, honey, or condensed milk and served cold.

Summary

Tubho tea is a traditional tea from Vietnam that is known for its unique flavor and aroma. The tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and is processed through traditional methods that give it a strong, aromatic flavor that is characterized by a hint of smokiness and a slight sweetness. The tea can be enjoyed in different ways, such as brewed in a traditional Vietnamese teapot, as a traditional Vietnamese tea-based drink called "tra" or as a traditional Vietnamese sweetened tea called "che"

References

1. "Vietnam's northern mountain tea" by D. Le and D.T. Nguyen, Journal of Food Science and Technology, volume 54, pages 3261–3267 (2017).
2. "The traditional technique of making green tea in Vietnam" by D.T. Nguyen, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, volume 41, issue 3, pages e13346 (2017).
3. "The traditional technique of making green tea in Vietnam" by D.T. Nguyen, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, volume 41, issue 3, pages e13346 (2017).

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