"Packing" tea flavor in bamboo tubes

In the vast Phieng Phung forest, Dong Phuc commune (Thai Nguyen), ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees still quietly stretch out in the mist, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. And also there, a Dao girl chose to return to her village, starting her entrepreneurial journey with the flavor of her homeland. From ancient tea leaves, she created a unique product "Shan Tuyet Lam Tube Tea", imbued with the breath of the mountains and forests, both traditional and modern.

Ms. Dang Thi Dat (left) harvests from ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees.

The dream of starting a business from the scent of ancient tea trees

Born and raised in Dao Phieng Phung village, Dang Thi Dat's childhood (born in 1996) was associated with tea picking sessions in the forest with her family. Shan Tuyet tea in Phieng Phung has a history of hundreds of years, the trunk is so big that two people can hug it, the leaves are covered with a layer of white snow, the sweet aftertaste, rich and unforgettable.

But for many years, that "green gold" has only been around in the villages, not yet become a commodity, not yet bringing a stable source of income for the people.

“In the past, tea was picked and roasted by hand, hung up in the kitchen for later use, and sold at the market for a few tens of thousands of dong per kilo. Everyone had a hard time and remained poor all year round,” said Dang Thi Dat.

After getting married, Ms. Dang Thi Dat decided to return to her hometown, looking for a way to escape poverty with Shan Tuyet tea. She and her husband boldly borrowed 100 million VND from the Social Policy Bank to open a small production workshop, buy roasting and rolling machines, and invest in more systematic processing.

Every step, from harvesting, roasting, rolling to preserving, is meticulously learned by her, following the technique to preserve the full flavor of the mountains and forests.

When the product was completed, she did not stop at selling to traders, but quickly grasped the new trend, put Shan Tuyet tea on e-commerce platforms, built Facebook, Zalo, and TikTok channels to livestream sales, and share about her entrepreneurial journey.

The tea tubes are left on the wood stove for a certain period of time to dry the tea and absorb the smoky flavor.

Ms. Dang Thi Dat shared: "Just tell the real story, speak from your heart, then customers will believe and love the product." And that's right, from the rustic videos of the Dao girl in the clouds and mountains, her Shan Tuyet tea product has gone beyond the village, finding a place in the hearts of consumers in the lowlands.

At the end of 2023, realizing the potential of her hometown's ancient tea trees, Ms. Dat Dang Thi Dat boldly established Binh An Green Agriculture Cooperative, gathering many local young people and women to participate in production and processing.

The Cooperative focuses on technical innovation and product diversification: Shan Tuyet tea 1 bud 1 leaf, 1 bud 2 leaves, white tea, black tea and especially smoked Lam tea. All are processed from organic materials, without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

Thanks to the cooperative, many households have stable jobs and their income has improved significantly. Ms. Mach Thi Hoai, a tea grower, shared: "Previously, tea was sold at a very cheap price, and consumption was sometimes difficult. Recently, the cooperative has been purchasing tea on-site, the price is stable so people can feel secure in taking care of the tea, and their lives have clearly improved."

From a poor countryside, Phieng Phung has been transforming itself, tea fields are being cared for properly, new products are being created, and above all, the entrepreneurial spirit is spreading among the great forest.

From the great forest - the scent of tea travels far and wide

Ms. Dang Thi Dat (standing in the middle) at the Green Startup Competition held in Hanoi .

The product that made Ms. Dang Thi Dat's brand is "Tra lam hang bep" - a type of tea wrapped in fresh bamboo tubes, both preserving the natural flavor and bearing the appearance of highland culture. This idea came to her during a study trip to Tuyen Quang province. "I thought, the Dao people have mountains, forests, and bamboo trees, why not combine them to create something unique?" - Ms. Dat recalls.

Shan Tuyet tea when stuffed in bamboo tubes, thanks to the natural fermentation process, the flavor is stronger, the aftertaste is sweeter and more fragrant. In particular, the product can be preserved for a long time, the longer it is kept, the more delicious it is. Each small bamboo tube, containing 2.5 - 3 taels of tea, is sold for 120,000 - 150,000 VND, very suitable as a gift for tourists.

From 2022 to now, more than 2,000 tubes of Lam tea have been sold to the market. Not only that, in 2023, Ms. Dang Thi Dat's project "Processing Lam tea from Shan Tuyet tea" also won the Encouragement Prize of the Rural Youth Entrepreneurship Project Competition in Bac Kan province (old), and entered the Final round of the 9th National Green Entrepreneurship Project organized by the Center for Business Research and Enterprise Support (BSA).

"Kitchen-roofed tea" product of Ms. Dang Thi Dat.

Commenting on union member Dang Thi Dat, Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen, Secretary of the Dong Phuc Commune Youth Union, assessed: Ms. Dang Thi Dat is a young person who dares to think and dares to do. With her boldness and creativity, Ms. Dat not only started a successful business, but also contributed to spreading the spirit of rising up from poverty to local youth.

In the age of technology and globalization, the story of Dao girl Dang Thi Dat is a testament to the new entrepreneurial spirit, which is to combine tradition with modern creativity. Shan Tuyet bamboo tube tea - a seemingly simple product, but has "wrapped" in itself the soul of the mountains and forests, the skillful hands of Dao women and the aspirations of the youth of the highlands.

When sipping a cup of golden-colored tea with a fragrant aroma like kitchen smoke, people not only feel the sweet aftertaste of Shan Tuyet tea, but also see the story of determination, love for the homeland and belief in the green future of Phieng Phung. Because for Dao girl Dang Thi Dat, tea is not just a drink, but the soul of the mountains and forests wrapped in each bamboo tube, wishing to send it to all parts of the country and further in the future.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/dat-va-nguoi-thai-nguyen/202510/goi-vi-tra-trong-nhung-ong-lam-5d34e8f/