For generations, Thai people in Quan Son district, Quan Hoa, Thanh Hoa province have used Tan Ma tea as a drink and to entertain distinguished guests. Currently, Tan Ma tea has been restored by many people here as an OCOP product and the area has been expanded, productivity has been increased, bringing high income to the people.
Tan Ma Tea - a unique product of the Thai people in Thanh Hoa
The word "Tan Ma" in Thai means "noble guests", referring to the type of tea used to welcome distinguished guests. Tan Ma tea is a long-standing traditional product of the Thai people in Thanh Hoa. The tea has a red-yellow color, natural sweetness, no chemicals, and is good for the heart and digestive system.
Tan Ma tea is grown a lot by Thai people in Quan Son and Quan Hoa districts.
According to people in Quan Son, Quan Hoa, after picking the tea buds, let them wither naturally or dry them for about 30 minutes, then knead them by hand and cover them with wild taro leaves to absorb the astringent resin in the tea, before drying them in the natural sunlight.
Walking along the communes in Quan Son and Quan Hoa districts where many Thai people live, it is not difficult to see lush green tea hills along the hillsides and in family gardens.
Mr. Bui Cong Khuyen in Phun village, Trung Xuan commune, Quan Son district said that Tan Ma tea tree has existed since ancient times, and is grown mostly by the Thai ethnic people here on the hillsides along the stream and is often used as a beverage.
Currently, the area of Tan Ma tea in Quan Son and Quan Hoa is gradually increasing.
Every year, Tan Ma tea is harvested 3-4 times. Starting from February to September of the lunar calendar, people harvest tea and then process it, initially to serve daily needs, later becoming a commodity sold to people in the district.
Talking about the process of making the delicious and unique Tan Ma tea product, the elders in Phun village shared: The tea buds are picked by the locals, left to wither naturally or dried in the sun for about 30 minutes, then kneaded by hand and brewed according to the traditional method before being put out to dry in the sun.
To have a good pot of tea, the tea must be brewed with boiling water in a clean pot, then kept warm to give the water a light brown color and a characteristic aroma. Tan Ma tea has a pleasant, sweet, astringent taste, a long-lasting aroma, almost no bitterness, and is very good for health.
Build OCOP products, increase income for people
Currently, Quan Son district has over 100 hectares of tea growing area, mainly concentrated in Trung Xuan, Tam Thanh, Son Thuy, Trung Thuong communes... Trung Xuan commune alone has over 35 hectares in Phun and Phu Nam villages. Compared to other crops, tea growing area has great potential for economic value and is grown in many localities in the district.
For generations, Thai people in Quan Son district, Quan Hoa province, Thanh Hoa province have used Tan Ma tea as a drink and to entertain distinguished guests.
Although Tan Ma tea has very good uses, in previous years, many tea areas were not cared for and gradually disappeared. Since the implementation of the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) Program, people have switched to concentrated, large-scale production, focusing on processing stages as well as building product brands.
In particular, in 2019, the Trung Xuan Women's Union supported the establishment of a group of households producing Tan Ma tea led by women, with 24 members and a total area of 2 hectares. The Women's Union regularly propagates and guides members on how to care for tea to increase productivity.
Tan Ma tea products in Phun village, Trung Xuan commune, Quan Son district
Although the tea area is small and the output is not much, the initial results in restoring the tea tree are opening up a new direction in economic development in Trung Xuan commune, especially many households have had a good income from growing tea tree.
Ms. Ha Thi Sinh, in Phun village, Trung Xuan commune, Quan Son district said: Unlike before, when each household did things on their own, now households are supported with knowledge training, and are linked together to develop and consume products. Each month, members of the group process and supply the market with 80 - 100 kg of dried Tan Ma tea, with a selling price of 200,000 VND/kg.
As the only border commune of Quan Hoa district, Hien Kiet commune has thousands of hectares of natural forest. Initially, tea was harvested by local people for preliminary processing to serve family needs. In 2021, Tan Ma Hien Kiet tea product was one of 38 3-star OCOP products of Thanh Hoa province.
Tan Ma tea products of people in Hien Kiet commune, Quan Hoa district.
Since then, Tan Ma tea has been a product that has helped many people in Hien Kiet commune, Quan Hoa district have jobs and income. Currently, the area of land for cultivating Tan Ma tea in the whole commune is nearly 45-50 hectares, distributed evenly in 7 villages.
With the goal of promoting products and building local brands, Quan Hoa district as well as Hien Kiet commune are coordinating with relevant agencies to gradually build, consolidate and upgrade the quality of Tan Ma tea, while doing a good job of planning, enhancing promotion and introducing products.
Source: https://danviet.vn/cay-che-tan-ma-cua-nguoi-thai-o-thanh-hoa-dat-sao-ocop-nong-dan-dang-kha-gia-len-han-20250306161201798.htm
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