Lesson 3 of 8 · Getting to know The Hoa

The tea ritual

An invitation to help guests sense the aroma more clearly

Smell the aroma · Close your eyes · Drink the tea

Some flavors are easy to miss when we drink in a hurry. The Hoa suggests three small steps to give the drinker one more moment to notice the cup in their hand.

Smell the aroma. Bring the cup close and take in the aroma before drinking. It could be a light floral note, the nutty aroma of roasted rice or the particular scent of the tea base just chosen.

Close your eyes. If it feels comfortable, close your eyes for a moment to focus on the aroma. This is a suggestion for the experience; guests can enjoy the tea in whatever way suits them.

Drink the tea. Take a sip and notice the strength, the sweetness and the taste that lingers afterwards. For the floral tea line, the aroma straw helps carry the aroma through the sips that follow.

That is the way of enjoying tea behind the line “Aroma comes first. The tea follows.”

How to invite the guest naturally?

When handing over the cup, you only need one line tied to the drink the guest just chose:

Try smelling the roasted rice aroma before you drink.

Or:

Your Sen Hạ (Summer Lotus Oolong Tea) has a light aroma, try taking in the scent before your first sip.

If the guest is interested, we introduce the three steps. If the guest is in a hurry, a short invitation is enough for them to explore on their own later.

Let guests have their own impression

With the same cup of tea, some people notice the aroma right away; others need a few more tries. You can suggest what the drink is known for, then listen to how the guest describes it.

When a guest says “I don't really smell much”, accept that impression and check the product again if needed. The goal is to help the guest enjoy the tea more easily, not to pressure them into sensing a particular aroma.

Take this with you. A well-timed invitation can help the guest discover something more in their cup of tea.