Tin du lịch Customers line up tightly on the sidewalk to buy unique hand-crushed lemon tea in Hanoi.

The sound of crushed ice and shaking tea from a street-side tea stall in Quảng Bá (Tây Hồ District, Hanoi) easily attracts the attention of many passersby.
View attachment 723 The hand-crushed lemon tea stall draws a large number of customers in search of this drink on Quảng Bá street, Tây Hồ, Hanoi. Photo: Nhật Minh

After researching on social media a few months ago, Mr. Hoàng Thế Hảo (32 years old) decided to open a hand-crushed lemon tea cart in Quảng Bá, Tây Hồ, Hanoi. This lemon tea cart, with just a few simple tools, daily attracts hundreds of customers eager to try its unique flavor.
To make this drink, Mr. Hảo first takes a knife to scrape the lemon peel. The essential oils in the lemon peel enhance the fragrance, helping to maximize the aroma of the lemon.
Next, he slices the lemon into thin pieces to make it easier to mash. Before mashing, he measures exactly 50 grams of lemon for each cup using an electronic scale.
"Sliced lemons by hand are hard to make uniform, so I have to weigh them for accuracy in each cup," Mr. Hảo shared.
After preparing enough lemons for each cup, he adds some ice cubes and continuously mashes by hand to extract the juice, then mixes it with homemade sugar syrup and jasmine tea. Finally, he adds more ice and shakes it until frothy.
View attachment 724 Mr. Hảo mashing lemons and ice by hand. Photo: Nhật Minh

In the beginning, constantly mashing lemons was physically challenging for Mr. Hảo, causing him muscle strain. Gradually, as he became accustomed to this, his movements became more rhythmical. Many customers waiting to buy were impressed, saying that this street tea stall owner looked like a professional bartender.
He revealed that good lemon tea must use the right type of fragrant lemon from Guangdong, China, not American or South African lemons. This type of lemon has a rough, thick skin and is more aromatic than others.
"This type of lemon has few seeds, a pleasant aroma, with a hint of lemongrass scent; you can smell it lightly when standing nearby," Mr. Hảo said.
View attachment 725 The fragrant lemon from Guangdong, China, that Mr. Hảo uses. Photo: Nhật Minh

Finally, the lemon tea is poured into a cup, with a spill-proof base for customers to take home and enjoy. Before packaging, he always lets customers taste to ensure it’s to their liking, allowing him to make adjustments. Each cup of lemon tea takes about 5 minutes to prepare.
During peak hours, customers may have to wait 15 to 20 minutes for their drinks. Nevertheless, customers patiently line up because Mr. Hảo always engages in conversation and keeps a cheerful demeanor with everyone. Mr. Hảo states that the lemon tea must be consumed within an hour; if left for too long, it becomes bitter and loses its flavor.
Ms. Phùng Hà Trang (42 years old, Cầu Giấy) expressed her impression of the flavor of the hand-crushed lemon tea. "I can taste the light fragrance from the cup of lemon tea," Ms. Trang said.
Mr. Nguyễn Quang Tùng (26 years old, Tây Hồ) mentioned that he was curious to check out the stall when he saw many customers waiting. "I was impressed by the owner’s attitude; despite the crowd, he always remains cheerful and accommodating," Mr. Tùng said.

Source: https://dulich.laodong.vn/am-thuc/k...a-chanh-gia-tay-doc-dao-o-ha-noi-1260048.html