In Vietnam, hibiscus tea usually means a tart, deep red drink made from the calyces of roselle, which Vietnamese people call atiso đỏ or bụp giấm. It is not the same as Da Lat artichoke tea. At tea shops you will mostly meet it mixed with fruit, sugar and ice. At Phúc Tea, the two hibiscus drinks on the menu cost 24,000 - 27,000 VND depending on the store.
This guide explains the Vietnamese names you will see on packets and menus, what to expect in the cup, and how to order a hibiscus drink at the counter without guessing. It is written by the editorial team at Phúc Tea, a Vietnamese tea brand that started from a single tea cart in Can Tho in 2017 and now runs 170+ stores in 3 countries.
What Is Hibiscus Tea in Vietnam?
Hibiscus tea is a drink made by steeping parts of a hibiscus plant. The plant most often used for drinks is roselle, known by the scientific name Hibiscus sabdariffa. According to North Carolina State University Extension, the fleshy red calyces of roselle can be used to make tea and other drinks. The calyx is the cup of sepals around the flower, not the petals.
In Vietnam, you may see several names for related products:
| Name you may see | What it usually refers to | Where you will see it |
|---|---|---|
| atiso đỏ ("ah-tee-SO dor") | Roselle, literally "red artichoke" | Dried calyx packets, jams, drink stalls |
| bụp giấm ("boop zyum") | Roselle, a southern name meaning roughly "sour hibiscus" | Markets, home cooking, older recipes |
| trà hoa dâm bụt | "Hibiscus flower tea", a general name | Online articles, some packets |
| trà hibiscus | Hibiscus tea, borrowed from English | Tea shop menus, including Phúc Tea |
A name tells you the plant family, not the recipe. A shop drink called "hibiscus" can still be mixed with green tea, fruit, salted plum or syrup. If you need to know exactly what is in the cup, ask the shop about that specific drink.
Is Hibiscus Tea the Same as Da Lat Artichoke Tea?
No. This is a common mix-up for visitors, because the names sound almost the same. Trà atiso from Da Lat is made from the globe artichoke grown in the Central Highlands. It is a brownish, mildly bitter herbal drink, sold in tea bags, dried bundles and paste, and it is one of Da Lat's best known souvenirs.
Atiso đỏ sounds almost the same but is roselle, a hibiscus. The word "đỏ" just means red. The two plants are unrelated, the drinks look different in the cup, and they taste different too. If you want hibiscus at a market, ask for atiso đỏ and check that the packet shows dried red calyces, not green or brown artichoke leaves.
A quick way to tell them apart:
- Colour in the cup: hibiscus brews ruby to deep red; Da Lat artichoke tea brews amber to brown.
- Taste: hibiscus is sour and fruity; artichoke tea is earthy and slightly bitter.
- Label words: look for "đỏ", "bụp giấm" or "hibiscus" for hibiscus; plain "atiso" usually means artichoke.
What Does Hibiscus Tea Taste Like?
Plain hibiscus tea is tart. Many tea sellers compare it to cranberry, and it has a clean sourness that wakes up your mouth. The colour is the other thing people notice first: a strong ruby red that deepens the longer it steeps.
In Vietnam, you rarely drink it plain at a shop. Vietnamese drink culture loves the balance of sour, sweet and a little salty, so hibiscus often comes:
- with salted plum (xí muội), which adds a salty, dried fruit note
- with fruit such as soursop, lime or kumquat
- sweetened and poured over plenty of ice, which softens the sourness
So a hibiscus drink at a tea shop tastes less like a cup of herbal tea and more like a bright, sweet and sour cooler. How sour it is depends on the recipe and on the sugar level you choose.
Hibiscus Drinks on the Phúc Tea Menu
Phúc Tea lists two hibiscus drinks in the Fruit Tea section of the English menu. The table keeps the menu descriptions as they are.
| English name | Vietnamese name | Menu description |
|---|---|---|
| Hibiscus Salted Plum Tea | Trà Hibiscus Xí Muội | Hibiscus tea + salted plum |
| Hibiscus Soursop Green Tea | Lục Trà Hibiscus Mãng Cầu | Hibiscus green tea + soursop |
Both are made to be drunk cold. Menus can vary a little between stores, so confirm the drink is available at the store you visit.
Hibiscus Salted Plum Tea
Choose this if you like a sour and salty profile. Salted plum (xí muội, "see MOO-ee") is a classic Vietnamese pairing for sour drinks. Do not confuse it with Kumquat & Salted Plum Black Tea (Hồng Trà Tắc Xí Muội), which is a different drink from our one-litre black tea line. Both use salted plum, but the base is different.
Hibiscus Soursop Green Tea
Choose this if you prefer fruit over salt. Soursop (mãng cầu, "mahng KOH") is soft, creamy and gently tangy, and it rounds off the sharper hibiscus notes. This drink uses a green tea base, so it is a tea drink, not a herbal infusion.
At Phúc Tea: How Hibiscus Joined Our Menu
At Phúc Tea, we introduced Hibiscus Soursop Green Tea as part of the Soursop Tea Trio, launched across our stores on 28 March 2025, together with Soursop Tea and Lemon Soursop Black Tea. You can read the launch announcement for the original line-up.
When we put the trio together, we gave each drink a different base: plain tea, lemon black tea and hibiscus green tea. That is also why we suggest reading the full drink name rather than ordering "the soursop one" or "the red one". Three of our drinks share soursop, and two share salted plum, but no two of them taste the same.
Does Hibiscus Tea Have Caffeine?
A plain infusion of hibiscus calyces is a herbal drink and does not come from the tea plant, so on its own it is generally described as caffeine free. A shop drink is a different question. Many hibiscus drinks in Vietnam are blended with real tea.
At Phúc Tea, Hibiscus Soursop Green Tea has a green tea base, so it is not a caffeine-free drink. For Hibiscus Salted Plum Tea, the menu description does not list a separate tea base, so ask the staff about that drink if caffeine matters to you.
This guide is about flavour and ordering, not nutrition. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or take medication, check with your doctor before drinking hibiscus regularly, and read the label on any dried hibiscus product you buy.
How to Order a Hibiscus Drink at a Vietnamese Tea Shop
The ordering flow is the same as for milk tea, which we cover step by step in our visitor's guide to milk tea in Vietnam. For a hibiscus drink, these four phrases do most of the work:
| What you want | Say | Rough pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| The hibiscus drink | trà hibiscus | "chah HIB-is-kus" |
| Less sugar | ít đường | "it duh-uhng" |
| Less ice | ít đá | "it dah" |
| To take away | mang về | "mahng VAY" |
Three tips before you pay:
- Decide sugar first. Sourness is the whole point of hibiscus. Many people pick a middle level such as 50% or 70% sugar; at 0% hibiscus can taste very sharp. Some drinks cannot be adjusted, so ask before you pay.
- Keep the ice. Hibiscus drinks are designed to be served cold. "Less ice" (ít đá) is fine, but "no ice" can make the drink taste more concentrated.
- Point if you need to. Showing the drink on the menu board or on your phone works in every store.
Where Else to Find Hibiscus in Vietnam
Outside tea shops, the easiest places to find roselle products are:
- Wet markets and supermarkets, which sell dried atiso đỏ calyces in bags. Check that you are buying red calyces, not Da Lat artichoke.
- Souvenir and specialty shops, where hibiscus appears in tea bags, gift boxes and herbal blends. Read the ingredient list, because blends often include black tea, other flowers or sweeteners.
- Street drink stalls, which sometimes sell a chilled red hibiscus drink in summer. Recipes vary widely.
If you buy dried hibiscus to take home, follow the brewing instructions on the packet, since steeping times and water temperatures differ between products.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hibiscus tea called in Vietnamese? Roselle is usually called atiso đỏ or bụp giấm. On modern tea shop menus, you will often see the English word, as in trà hibiscus.
Is atiso đỏ the same as Da Lat artichoke tea? No. Atiso đỏ is roselle, a hibiscus with a sour taste and red colour. Da Lat trà atiso comes from the globe artichoke and tastes earthy and slightly bitter.
What does hibiscus tea taste like? Tart and fruity, often compared to cranberry. In Vietnamese shops it is usually sweetened, served over ice and paired with salted plum or fruit.
Which Phúc Tea drinks contain hibiscus? Hibiscus Salted Plum Tea and Hibiscus Soursop Green Tea, both in the Fruit Tea section of the Phúc Tea English menu.
How much does a hibiscus drink cost at Phúc Tea? Drinks cost 24,000 - 27,000 VND depending on the store and size. Check the board at the store you visit.
Is hibiscus tea popular in Vietnam? Hibiscus is a familiar ingredient in Vietnam, sold dried in markets and used in sweet and sour cold drinks. On tea shop menus it sits alongside fruit teas rather than milk teas. If you want to compare the milk tea side of Vietnam, see our guide to Vietnamese vs Taiwanese and Thai milk tea.
A Bright Red Cup for a Hot Afternoon
Hibiscus is one of the easiest ways to try something different from milk tea in Vietnam: sour, cold and bright red. Learn two names, atiso đỏ for the market and trà hibiscus for the menu, set your sugar, and you are ready.
👉 Find your nearest store: Phúc Tea store locator
👉 See both hibiscus drinks and the full Fruit Tea line: Phúc Tea English menu
👉 Learn more about the brand: phuctea.com.vn
Phúc Tea - Spreading Happiness, one cup at a time.