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| Ms. Tran Thi Van (second from the left) is introducing Tan Cuong tea buds to a delegation from the Federal Republic of Germany. |
Even old tea plants sprout new buds.
In the small, red-tiled tea house of the Thai Sinh Community Tea and Tourism Cooperative, Ms. Tran Thi Van placed a freshly poured cup of tea in front of me. The tea steam rose gently like silk, carrying the aroma of young rice grains unique to the Tan Cang region. "Please drink some, to experience what authentic tea tastes like," Ms. Van whispered.
I took my first sip. The astringency was very subtle, a thin touch, then quickly dissipated. But it was then that the sweetness began to rise. A deep, warm sweetness, spreading in waves throughout my mouth. I felt as if I were touching the damp earth of Xinjiang mornings, hearing the wind rustling through the tea leaves, and seeing the farmer's hands carefully picking each bud still damp with dew.
Perhaps because it was my first time drinking tea from the highlands, straight from its source, my heart skipped a beat. It was a feeling hard to describe – both familiar and new, gentle and powerful. It was the original taste of tea, a taste that needs no embellishment yet leaves a lasting impression.
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| The tea plants stretch towards the morning mist, preserving the quintessential flavors of the mountains and hills. |
Watching the way Ms. Vân brews tea, slowly and carefully, as if cherishing a precious treasure, I understand why many tourists call her "an inspirational figure."
Ms. Vân studied in France and had the opportunity to work in glamorous Paris, but she gave it all up to return to Xinjiang. "Going far away made me realize that Vietnam has many beautiful things that other places don't have. For example, this tea – it's refreshing, sweet, deep, and so authentic that it can't be mistaken for any other place in the world ," she said, then smiled, a very genuine smile. But in her eyes, I saw pride. Not pride in being a tea maker, but pride in preserving a heritage.
Her father, Mr. Tran Van Thai, Director of the Thai Sinh Tea and Community Tourism Cooperative, has dedicated his entire life to tea cultivation and tea making. The family cherishes ancient tea bushes, some nearly a hundred years old, as precious treasures. "These old tea bushes still produce delicious buds. Drinking a cup of tea from those ancient trees, you'll feel something very… old-fashioned," Ms. Van said softly.
I understand the "very old" that Ms. Vân mentioned – it's the taste of time, the taste of memories, the taste of enduring quality that no mass-produced tea can replace.
Control of land, water, and light.
Besides making tea, Ms. Van also engages in tourism. She takes tourists to pick tea leaves in the early morning, guides them in roasting tea in a pan, and tells them about the tea culture of Thai Nguyen . "If we want to bring Thai tea to the world, first and foremost, we must make Vietnamese people proud of our tea," Ms. Van said, gently stroking the young tea buds.
Maintaining the original form doesn't mean standing still. Ms. Vân and her cooperative cultivate tea using clean farming methods, controlling soil, water, and light to higher standards. But she absolutely refuses to allow herself to lose the inherent flavor of Tân Cương tea.
“I always think: If someday foreigners drink Thai Nguyen tea and immediately recognize, ‘Ah, this is the original taste of Tan Cang,’ then that would be a success,” she said, pouring me a second cup…
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| Ms. Tran Thi Van guides Chinese tourists in experiencing how to roll tea leaves using a machine. |
The tea's flavor is richer, deeper, as if inviting the drinker back to inner tranquility. I suddenly realized: Xinjiang tea is not just a beverage. It's a slice of culture, the story of a land, the spirit of people who refuse to lose what is most authentic.
As I left the Thai Sinh Tea and Community Tourism Cooperative, I looked back at the tea hills shrouded in a thin mist. The lingering taste of my first cup of tea remained in my heart. A taste that was quiet, not harsh, not boastful – but became sweeter and more profound with each sip. Perhaps that is the character of the people of Tan Cang. And perhaps it is also the character of Ms. Van – the young woman who chose to return, chose to preserve, and chose to tell the story of a simple yet wondrous flavor.
The authentic taste of tea… It turns out that it lies not only in the teacup, but also in the hearts of the tea makers. The rich, pure, and sweet aftertaste of Tan Cang tea is just like the people who make it. Simple, genuine, yet proud. And I believe that with young people like Tran Thi Van, the journey of bringing Thai Nguyen tea to the world will continue.
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202511/cham-vao-vi-tra-nguyen-ban-3984e3d/
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