Lesson 8 of 9 · Knowing the base teas
Saigon Black Tea
A light cocoa aroma from roasted tea leaves, strong taste, malty sweet finish


Vietnamese name on the menu and cup label: Hồng Trà Sài Gòn.
What this drink is
A black tea base. No floral scenting. The cocoa and malt notes come from the way the tea leaves are roasted.
Remember this so you never mix it up
Take this with you. The ONLY tea with no floral aroma, and the only black tea. The strongest taste among the easy-drinking teas. The cocoa note comes from the roasted tea leaves, not from adding cocoa.
Telling the guest
Notes of malt, caramel and light cocoa from the tea leaf itself. Good for when you want to treat yourself to something warm.
Who it suits
- Guests who like strong tea
- Guests who take it with milk
- Guests who don't like floral flavours
If a guest asks whether there is chocolate in it: no, not even in the milk tea version. The cocoa note comes from how the tea leaves are roasted, no cocoa is mixed into the leaves.