Mot herbal tea (or Mot herbal tea, Hoi An herbal drink, Hoi An herbal tea) is a famous local beverage in Hoi An Old Town, Vietnam. It’s made with fresh ingredients and often served with ice, bringing a delicious and refreshing taste. For that reason, many visitors add it to the list of must try foods and drinks in Hoi An. Like other local specialties, this is sold at only one store on Tran Phu street. Now, let’s HoiAn Day Trip Company tell everything that you need to know about Mot herbal tea.
You may also like: Specialty Food in Hoi An, Vietnam
• Content by Tam Le, founder of HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
• Designed by Giang Cong Minh, co-founder of LS E&C LTD and his team
• Photo by Dang Cong Loi, Dao Xuan Son, Tam Le & others
Must Knows about Mot Herbal Tea in Hoi An
– Other name(s): Mot herbal tea, Hoi An herbal tea, Mot water, Lemongrass herbal tea, Hoi An lotus tea
– Price: about 20,000 VND/cup
– Ingredients: tea, lemongrass, lime, Chinese liquorice root, monk fruit, rock sugar, etc
– Reason(s) to try: the most famous local drink in Hoi An
– Where to find: the only store is Mot at 150 Tran Phu St, Minh An ward that lies within the Hoi An Ancient Town area
– Travel guide: https://hoiandaytrip.com/mot-herbal-tea-hoi-an
Local Tradition of Making Drinks by Herbs
For more than 500 years, Vietnamese people in Hoi An have used locally-sourced herbs to make drinks. Sometimes, herbs and medical plants originated from China are also used, to increase health benefits. They believe that the herbal drink is not only a beverage for refreshment, but also a kind of medicine to make them more healthy.
In the dry season, from February to the end of August, the temperature is always high and it’s humid. For that reason, locals will make drinks for cooling off. Here are popular local summer herbal beverages in Hoi An:
– winter melon tea: is made by mature winter melon (qua bi dao), Rehmannia glutinosa (thuc dia), monk fruit (qua la han), pandan leaf (la dua), and rock sugar (duong phen). The recipe: 1 kilogram of dried winter melon, 3 liters of fresh water, 100 grams of rock sugar, 5 grams of Rehmannia glutinosa, and 1 monk fruit (chopped in 6 or 8 pieces). After boiling them together, locals let it cool, remove herbs and filter to drink.
– roasting green bean water: is made of roasting green beans and water. Recipe: local people will roast full green beans in a hot pan first (harvest in fall-winter) until it becomes yellow, and then boiled with water to drink. This beverage is served hot or cold (with ice). In local style coffee shops, a cup of iced grilled green bean water replaces iced tea.
– hoary basil seed tea: is made by hoary basil seeds (about 3-4 full spoons) and 1 liter of fresh water. The recipe: boiled seeds in water until the temperature rises to 30-40oC, and then stop boiling, let it cool to drink. Pandan leaf, ginger or rock sugar can be added if want to have more flavours. Visitors have the chance to try this refreshing herbal drink when visiting Tra Que Vegetable Village.
In Cham Islands, an offshore island in Hoi An, local people collect herbs and plants in the forest and then make a special tea. They believe that if drink it, they will not feel seasick while going fishing. Number of herbs is often 17, but sometimes up to 24. They are picked by experience. If have the chance to visit islands, in local shops and markets, visitors can buy bottles of this herbal water or a pack of dried leaf to make it on your own later. See more information & details
Around Doan Ngo Festival (Mid-Year Festival, Piest Killing Festival) on the 5th day of the fifth lunar month (corresponding to late May or early June in the Gregorian calendar), local people in Hoi An make a herbal tea to drink. It’s called ‘5th day water’ and to kill diseases when it’s hottest in the year. There is a mix of many different herbs and plants, including broadleaf plantain (la ma de, Plantago major), corn silk, cheese leaf (la mo tam the, Paederia lanuginosa), scutch grass (co ong, Cynodon dactylon) that have diuretic, kidney toxic and cooling effects, lemongrass leaf, basil leaf, beefsteak plant (la tia to), mint, ginger, crown daisy (rau tan o or Glebionis coronaria) that help to increase resistance and prevent weather diseases, colds and cough, chamberbitter (cay cho de, Phyllanthus urinaria) to stimulate digestion, guava leaf to strengthen the stomach, lotus heart to calm the mind, etc. If don’t have these ingredients in the garden, locals will go to the market to buy dried ones. After that, they cook the leaf and the root with fresh water and then drink. Usually, no ice is needed. Beside that, they also eat lye water rice dumplings (banh u tro).
Herb Growing Village in Hoi An
3 kilometers north of Hoi An Ancient Town, Tra Que Vegetable Village is known as ‘herb village’ because plenty of herbs are grown here. If visit, it’s possible to see lemongrass, kumquat, beefsteak leaf, pandan leaf, lemon basil, crown daisy, betel leaf, ginger, and a lot more. Farmers in this village have been using traditional techniques to grew herbs and vegetables, so locals believe that Tra Que’s herbs are best in the city. They became a must have ingredient in numerous dishes. See more information & details
Ingredients of Mot Herbal Tea in Hoi An
Mot Herbal Tea is made of numerous herbs, medical plants, and other ingredients. All are well blended by a recipe that was created and secretly kept by one family in Hoi An, just like white rose dumplings. It means that visitors have no chance to try this drink if don’t go to Hoi An.
Taste of this herbal tea is refreshing, harmonious, delightful, and cool if added on ice. Absolutely, it’s one of the favourite local beverages on hot days. On the other hand, thanks to the combination of many herbs, drinkers also have health benefits. It provides exactly the same values from Vietnamese cuisine and culture.
Here are ingredients to make Hoi An herbal tea:
– Fresh tea leaf (la tra xanh): picked in private tea trees in the city, and helps to clear liver heat, relax the body, clear heat and toxins from digestive system, help bowel movement, and so on.
– Lemongrass (cay xa): bought at local markets or growed in the garden, and helps to clean the liver, kidney, pancreas, bladder, digestive tract, and so on.
– Lime/lemon (qua chanh): bought at local markets or growed in the garden, and helps to harmonize the stomach, digestion, detox the liver, blood, intestines, or lumps.
– Ginger (cu gung): bought at local markets or growed in the garden, and helps digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhea, and nausea.
– Cinamon (que): bought at local markets or growed in the garden, and helps to warm the whole body.
– Monk Fruit (la han qua): bought at medicine shops, and helps to relieve sore throats and reduce phlegm.
– Chinese liquorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis): bought at medicine shops, and helps for digestive problems, menopausal symptoms, cough, and bacterial and viral infections.
– Rock sugar (duong phen): bought at local markets, and helps to soothe the throat and clear phlegm.
– Fresh water of Ba Le Well, a 1,000-years-old well in Hoi An where water is still produced and used to make local special foods and drinks. See more information & details
Where to Find Mot Herbal Tea in Hoi An?
There is only one store selling Mot Herbal Tea in Hoi An. It’s ‘Mót’ store at 150 Tran Phu St within Hoi An’s Old Town world heritage site area. See location on Google Maps. Actually, the herbal drink was named after this shop because it’s firstly made here. Mot is the nickname of the son in the family when he was small.
Due to a wide reputation, Mot store is busy during the way. Queues are often seen in the coolest hours of the day, especially late afternoon. However, don’t have to wait too long.
Many vendors put a sign ‘Hoi An herbal drink’ in town. We don’t recommend buying a cup from them, because the flavour is too different from the original drink at 150 Tran Phu St.
On the right side of the store, a model of all ingredients which the family uses to make the drink, is shown. Visitors can sit on the nearby chair, under a blooming rangoon creeper tree and photograph. The best time to take photos is in the morning or noon because of no crowds. Somehow, this is one of the most Instagrammable spots in Hoi An.
Inside the store, visitors can find some low, wooden tables and chairs to have a seat. Groups may be difficult to sit together because the space is not too large. If you are tall, it’s a little bit uncomfortable. The interior is decorated with vintage stuff and lanterns. Kitchen and toilets are in the back of this small house. When it’s hot, guests can use electric fans around.
We recommend takeaway instead of drinking the drink inside the store. In busy hours, especially late afternoon, it’s packed and quite hot. A few steps from here, visitors can find Kazik Park to sit on long chairs.
Mot herbal tea store is an old one-storey house, known as ‘An Thai House’, one of well-preserved houses in the Hoi An Old Town. It has brick walls, a wooden frame and a tile roof, with the main entrance to the left. Above it, there is a name board showing the former name (An Thai) and address of the shop. According to current owners, it’s made by their grandfather and they kept it as a memory. Previously, the family sold traditional medicine here. For that reason, they knew how to mix herbs and other ingredients to make a tasty and healthy beverage.
Before 1975, in the South Vietnam Republic, the address of the house was 100 Cuong De St (now 150 Tran Phu St). Cuong De (1882-1951) is an early 20th-century Vietnamese revolutionary and nationalist who, along with Phan Boi Chau, tried to liberate Vietnam from French colonial occupation. The figure whose name is given to the road now is the first General secretary of the Communist party of Vietnam. Tran Phu lived between 1904 and 1931, and passed away in Ho Chi Minh city. See more information & details
How is Mot Herbal Tea Served?
Mot Herbal Tea is served in a paper cup with the shop name, with ice if requested. A bamboo straw is used to join hands in environmental protection. No plastic cups and straws are available to get. To decorate, fresh tea leaves and lotus petals are also added on. For that reason, many visitors want to have one picture while they hold a cup of Mot Herbal Tea.
Tips to Buy & Enjoy Mot Herbal Tea in Hoi An
– Visitors must go to Hoi An Old Town to but Mot Herbal Tea.
– Visitors should queue up to buy the herbal tea at Mot store, 150 Tran Phu St.
– Mot Herbal Tea is better if served with ice.
– Visitors must pay by cash or scan QR code (if have local bank accounts).
– Visitors can sit inside the store, order and wait for a while, instead of standing in the queue on the street.
– In late afternoon, be careful if queue up on the street. Although, cars and motorbikes are banned, cyclos or bicycles may be potentially dangerous.
– After drinking, visitors should put the cup into the bin, to protect the environment and keep the town, a world heritage site, clean. Bins are all along major streets.
– Mot store also sells specialty dishes of Hoi An, such as Cao Lau noodles, white rose dumplings, fried wonton, Hoi An style chicken rice, grilled pork skewers, stir-fried baby clams, and so on.
– Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) if you need a tour guide in Hoi An Ancient Town.
How to Get to Mot Herbal Tea Store in Hoi An
Store of Mot Herbal Tea is at 150 Tran Phu St, Minh An ward, Hoi An, Vietnam. It lies within the Hoi An Ancient Town world heritage site area.
From Hoi An, visitors can go to the Store of Mot Herbal Tea by walking, bicycle, motorcycle, taxi/car, electric bus, shuttle bus of the hotel/resort, cyclo, bus/minivan. This building is in the pedestrian zone during many hours of the day (9-11:30 am, 3 to 9:30 pm), so it’s still needed to have a short walk if don’t cycle. The nearest place to drop off or park is in Phap Bao Pagoda. The parking fee is 5,000-10,000 VND/bike/time. From here, follow Hai Ba Trung ST, turn left and the store is on the left hand side. If go by a car, visitors can reach Hoi An Museum or Song Hoai Square and then walk from there.
From Da Nang, the distance to the Store of Mot Herbal Tea in Hoi An is some 30 kilometers, to the south. Visitors often choose a car or ride the motorbike by themselves. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/zalo/line) to book a private roundtrip transfer by car.
HoiAn Day Trip Company daily organizes transfers to Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Better to Know about Eating Local in Hoi An
– Local family-run restaurants always serve better local foods than tourist restaurants. Places inside small alleyways potentially are hidden gems. The price is even more affordable at these lesser known spots.
– Restaurants where you can see a queue or crowds, food or drinks there are absolutely better or safer than others. Vietnamese people also avoid places without people eating, such as roadside eateries.
– Hot foods are often safe to eat for non-Vietnamese people. Refuse cold food (especially ones sold on the street, markets) or things you don’t see people cooking.
– Make sure that you learn some basic Vietnamese words or sentences to order foods, such as xin chao (hello, hi), cho toi mot (something) (I want one…), toi an chay (I am vegetarian), khong cay (no spicy), cam on (thank you), tam biet (goodbye) or numbers (mot/one, hai/two, ba/three, bon/four, nam/five, sau/six, bay/seven, tam/eight, chin/nine, and muoi/ten).
– Ask any local people you know (tour guide, driver, hotel receptionists, bellmen, etc) to receive their recommendation for good places to eat local.
– Raw vegetables are popularly used in local dishes, such as noodles or noodle soup or sandwich. They are often washed by tap water or unwashed. If can not drink tap water, remove or refuse them. Likewise, in most iced drinks (such as coffee or herbal tea), people add ice made by tap water also.
– On the 1st day and 14th-15th days of each lunar month, Hoi An citizens eat vegetarians. Many local restaurants and street businesses will be closed by that.
– If you don’t eat pork or beef, due to diet or religious restrictions, be careful when want to try local food here, if don’t see the ingredient description. Pork and beef are very popular meats, so they will be in numerous dishes. Street vendors may say ‘no pork’ or ‘no beef’ for better business, but please check before buying!
– Consider joining a food tour guided by locals who know much better about dishes in the city, including things never mentioned in guidebooks or on the internet.
– If have an allergy (milk, egg, peanut, wheat,…), ask anybody you know before trying or search for ingredients on the internet. By the way, fish sauce is popularly used to marinate Vietnamese foods, so make sure that you know this information if you’re fish allergic.
– Food portion (or size) here is often not really big (locals prefer eating with their family at home). You may try double or some different dishes for main meals.
– If don’t see the price on the menu, please ask in advance to avoid overcharging, especially when you are not a local. In Vietnamese, how much is bao nhieu.
– Most popular cutleries are chopsticks and spoons. To know how to use it, browse here
Itinerary to Visit Hoi An Old Town for First Timer
First of all, to enter and visit the Hoi An Old Town (the part inscribed by Unesco), visitors need to buy an entry ticket. Its price is 120,000 VND per adult and children above 15 years old and free of charge for smaller kids. Entry to 5 attractions is also included for free. See more information & details
If possible, first time visitors should go with a local guide, to know better about history and culture. Contact us by +84968009827 (call/whatsapp) to book a private English-speaking guide.
We suggest this itinerary for first timers:
Total distance: 1,65 kilometers
– Starting point: the Japanese style gate (the west end of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street). A model of the Red Seal Ship (Japanese merchant’s ship) and a ticket office are in a close distance.
– Walk along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. On this road, visitors will have the chance to sightsee Cam Pho Communal House (ticket required), Japanese Culture Gallery (ticket required), Phung Hung Old House (one of the best heritage houses, ticket required), Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel (in the alleyway, ticket required).
– Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the symbol of Hoi An. This place definitely is a must see attraction.
– Walk along Tran Phu Street, the most beautiful road in Hoi An, until Hoi An Central Market. On this road, visitors will have the chance to sightsee so many historical attractions. From the bridge to the market, there are Cantonese Assembly Hall (ticket required), Museum of Sa Huynh Culture (ticket required), Duc An Old House (ticket required), Kazik Park (free), Quan Thang Old House (ticket required), Museum of Trade Ceramics (ticket required), Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (ticket required), Fujian Assembly Hall (ticket required), Quan Cong Temple (ticket required), Quan Am Pagoda (ticket required), Hoi An Central Market (free to enter), a couple of rooftop coffee shops, Instagrammable spots, shophouses selling lanterns, food, souvenirs and fashion items.
– Walk southwards and along Tieu La Street (east side of Hoi An Central Market). On this road, there are many vendors and stalls selling a diversity of local products, giving a good chance to know about local life and photograph.
– Walk westwards and along Bach Dang Street (the riverside street). On this road, visitors will see Hoi An Traditional Performance House (ticket required if want to watch shows) and Museum of Folklore (ticket required).
– Turn into Le Loi Street and then turn left, walking along Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. On this road, visitors will see Tan Ky Old House (one of the best heritage houses, ticket required) and Diep Dong Nguyen Old House (not yet opened to visitors, see from outside).
– The ending point: the crossroad near the north end of An Hoi Bridge or the west end of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. In the evening, from here, visitors can walk cross the bridge and then turn right to see the entrance of the Hoi An Night Market, the biggest night market in Hoi An.
For more information and details, please browse https://hoiandaytrip.com/hoi-an-self-guided-walking-tour
Guided Tours to Hoi An Ancient Town Vietnam
From Hoi An
– Hoi An Old Town Walking Tour – 2 Hour Express Tour with Local
– Hoi An Half Day Walking Tour: Heritage Sites, Crafts & Show
– Hoi An Early Morning Walking Tour with Local Pho & Coffee
– Hoi An Afternoon Walking Tour + Thu Bon River Sunset Cruise
– Hoi An Night Tour from Hoi An: Lantern Boat, Markets & Food
– Hoi An Walking Tour with Sightseeing & Cooking Class
– Hoi An Late Afternoon Walking Tour with Local Food Tastings
– Hoi An Walking Tour with Thanh Ha Pottery Village by Boat
– Hoi An Instagram Tour: Best Photo Spots & Rooftop Café
– Hoi An Old Town Food Tour with Night Boat Ride
– Hoi An Old Town Private Walking Tour with Local Expert (4 hours duration from departure time)
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours in Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
From Da Nang
– Hoi An Half Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Highlights Tour
– Marble Mountain, Lady Buddha & Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang with Chinese Speaking Guide
– My Son Sanctuary & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang
– Golden Bridge/Ba Na Hills Tour & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang Cruise Port
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Tour from Chan May Cruise Port
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours in Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Places to Visit in Hoi An Old Town
– Bridges: Japanese Covered Bridge (Pagoda Bridge), Moonlight Bridge, An Hoi Bridge (Bridge of Lights), Cam Nam Bridge, Cam Kim Metal Bridge
– Museums: Museum of Sa Huynh Culture, Museum of Sa Folklore, Museum of Trade Ceramics, Museum of Traditional Medicine, Hoi An Museum of History & Culture, Japanese Culture Gallery, Black Sesame Soup Demonstration
– Chinese assembly halls: Cantonese Assembly Hall, Fujian Assembly Hall, Trung Hoa Assembly Hall, Hainan Assembly Hall, Teochew Assembly Hall
– Heritage houses: Tan Ky Old House, Phung Hung Old House, Duc An Old House, Quan Thang Ancient House, Diep Dong Nguyen House, Thai Phien Ancient House
– Temples & pagodas: Quan Cong Temple (Ong Pagoda), Ba Mu Temple, Phap Bao Pagoda, Quan Am Pagoda, Hoi An Confucius Temple, Cao Dai Temple of Hoi An, Hoi An Ancestral Temple, Cam Pho Confucius Temple, Minh Huong Confucius Temple, Vien Giac Pagoda, Hy Hoa Temple
– Family chapels: Tran Family Chapel, Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel
– Communal houses: Cam Pho Communal House, Hoi An Communal House, Minh Huong Communal House, Tu Le Communal House, Xuan Lam Communal House, Son Phong Communal House
– Markets: Hoi An Central Market, Hoi An Cloth/Fabric Market, Hoi An Night Market (Nguyen Hoang Night Market), Cam Pho Market
– Theatres: Hoi An Traditional Art Performance House, Hoi An Lune Center for Performing Arts (now where Teh Dar Show takes place), Hoi An Memories Land Theme Park (now where Hoi An Memories Show takes place)
– Famous streets: Tran Phu Street, Phan Chu Trinh Street, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Bach Dang Street/Wharf, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa Street, Phan Boi Chau Street (Hoi An French Quarter), Hoi An Lantern Streets
– Other points of interest: Red Seal Ship Model, Hoi An Evanlegical Church, Thong Dang Prison & Park, Kazik Park (Memory Statue of Kazimierz Kwiatkowski), Hoai River (Hoi An River), Song Hoai Square, An Hoi Sculpture Park, Hoi An Catholic Church, Hoi An Prison, Hoi An Central Park, Ba Le Well, Hoi An Book Street, Hoi An Lantern Park, An Hoi Island, Cam Nam Island, Thu Bon River, Da Ken Tree
