In recent years, a trend called “tra chanh chem gio,” or “chatting lemon tea,” takes over the two largest cities in Vietnam. It started in Ha Noi and spread rapidly to Sai Gon. The inexpensive beverage becomes a favorite drink for young people when they gather to chat. That’s when the name “chatting lemon tea” comes about.
Lemon tea is a very common drink which originally cost around 5,000 to 7,000 Vietnam dong, equivalent to only a few cents in the U.S. dollar. The ingredients are extremely easy to find: lemon, green tea, sugar, and honey. The tea is done by adding lemon juice, sugar and honey to the green tea (either fresh brewed or tea bag) to create a sweet and refreshing taste. With such simple recipe, no one is sure how this drink captures the hearts of millions Vietnamese from North to South.
The drink is originated from Ha Noi. People usually gather around after work and school to have a drink in small vendors along the sidewalks. It creates a huge hit among young people and those shops become new places to hang out every night. The trend quickly reaches Sai Gon and attracts curious people who want to find out about it. Many new lemon tea shops opened on the busiest streets and a large number of people visit them every day.
The businesses gain big profits since the cost to start a lemon tea shop is not that high. With very simple and inexpensive ingredients, owners can earn about 5 times more than the original cost. Taking advantage of the trend, many places increase their price on lemon tea to around 15,000 to 20,000 dong, which is much more expensive than the original price. Thus, more and more shops are opened with a hope to gain big money.
However, as I wrote earlier in the post “Street Food Trends in Vietnam”, most trends die quickly after a few months, and lemon tea is not an exception. It is starting to lose the heat as many new trends are taking away the attention of the consumers. Owners who have invested a lot in these shops probably experience a loss during the last several months. Nevertheless, lemon tea has created an interesting page in Vietnamese street food culture. Some people say that Vietnamese street food is probably not about the taste but about the feel. Maybe “chatting lemon tea” has given people a new feeling when hanging out with friends so people like it so much.
Vietnamese Street Food 