Lesson 4 of 8 · Getting to know The Hoa

How is a cup of The Hoa made?

From a Vietnamese tea base to the sips that follow

1. Choose a Vietnamese tea base

The tea base decides most of a drink's character: its strength, its astringency, its aftertaste and how the aroma shows when drunk plain or with milk.

The Hoa selects Vietnamese tea, including tea from Bảo Lộc, Lâm Đồng. Each tea base has its own information; when a guest asks about origin, look up the exact type in use.

At the counter, the first thing is to identify the right tea and use the right measure. Two types that look similar in color can still produce two very different cups.

2. Create a distinct aroma signature

The Hoa develops tea bases scented with flowers and local produce. Jasmine, lotus, osmanthus or roasted rice help guests find a drink by the aroma they love.

“Scenting” is how the brand describes giving a tea base its aroma signature. The specific ingredients and scenting method should be explained according to each product's file.

When advising, start with what the drinker can sense: the fragrance of jasmine, the nuttiness of roasted rice, a light lotus aroma. These descriptions help guests picture the drink more clearly.

3. Brew fresh with the Teapresso

The Teapresso is the tea brewing machine that sits right on the counter. The name brings to mind a coffee espresso machine, but what goes through this machine is tea leaves. For each tea base, the machine already has a set recipe covering the amount of tea, the water temperature, the amount of water and the brewing time. The barista selects the right program and the machine brews fresh tea concentrate for each cup.

Unlike tea steeped in a pot by the batch and used over time, the Teapresso brews the moment an order comes in. The machine is also not “industrial tea”: it only carries out the recipe, while the quality of the tea still comes from the leaves and the aroma profile of each drink.

You could say: “We brew with the Teapresso machine, fresh for each cup, following the recipe for each tea base.”

The Teapresso helps control the brewing parameters to bring out the aroma, balance the body and keep quality more consistent. The Hoa's three-pass brewing aims for an experience with aroma, fullness in the mouth and an aftertaste.

That quality needs both the machine and the barista: the right ingredients, the right measure, the right program and equipment that is cleaned and checked as instructed.

If a cup shows signs of being off-standard, check it or report to the person in charge. Your experience is very valuable at the step of noticing a problem and handling it by the correct procedure.

To understand the machine in more depth, read the article “What is Teapresso?” in the Articles section on thehoa.vn.

4. Carry the aroma through the drink

The aroma straw has a grooved design that helps carry the tea's aroma up as you drink. It is part of the floral tea line experience at The Hoa.

Hand over the right type of straw and give a short introduction when appropriate:

This cup comes with The Hoa's aroma straw, which helps you sense the tea's aroma as you drink.

What about Trà Dưỡng and coffee?

Trà Dưỡng (the herbal tea line) is brewed by hand following its own recipes. Coffee uses plain-roasted Vietnamese coffee and is made by machine. Each group has its own suitable preparation; the detailed technical part is in the corresponding product lesson and brewing procedure.

Take this with you. A good cup is the result of many steps done right, one after another.