The man brought ancient tea trees from Tay Con Linh mountain top to America

Tea products made from ancient tea buds on the misty Tay Con Linh peak were brought to the US by Trieu Vinh Lau (born in 1991), an ethnic minority in the highlands of Tuyen Quang.

Innovation in tea making thinking

Tay Con Linh is known as the "holy land of ancient tea trees" with a high density of tea trees hundreds of years old, even thousands of years old, "nourished by heaven" all year round.

Born and raised in this land, Trieu Vinh Lau decided not to waste this “gift from heaven” - a precious raw material area that many places want but cannot have. In 2018, he officially started his career in making tea.

With the enthusiastic guidance and "hands-on" guidance of a Chinese friend who specializes in making tea, Trieu Vinh Lau gradually accumulated knowledge and experience about fermented teas such as black tea, white tea, pu-erh tea, etc., which were not yet popular in Vietnam at that time.

“In the past, our people only knew how to make green tea, which was bitter and had a lot of caffeine. But with fermentation techniques, we have created teas that are milder, easier to drink, and good for your health,” Lau shared.

Mr. Trieu Vinh Lau directly introduced Dragon Beard Tea Company's products to consumers at a recent regional specialty fair in Hanoi . Photo: Binh Minh

Taking advantage of being a local and understanding the raw material area, he carefully selected rare ancient tea buds from Cao Bo and Tung San communes, turning them into high-value products.

He said there are special types of tea such as black tea made from young buds of ancient tea trees, which are carefully fermented for nearly 3 months, then stored in a warehouse for another year before being sold. This type of tea costs up to 8.6 million VND/kg, but is worth every sip.

“It’s the same young bud, but different processing methods will create different flavors and health effects. There is a type of tea made from thousand-year-old tea trees that can be brewed up to 50 times without becoming bland,” he said.

With the spirit of daring to think and dare to do, Mr. Lau constantly researches and innovates tea making thinking to increase the value of traditional products.

He boldly researched and produced the Oriental Beauty Tea line - made from leaves bitten by insects, often considered "waste".

“In the traditional style of making green tea, the tea ingredients in the summer season are not as good as those in the spring or fall (more bitter and astringent), so the price is usually cheaper. Around July, the hottest and rainiest month is the ideal time for pests and insects to develop. However, tea leaves that have been eaten by worms secrete a lot of resin to heal themselves, and the resin contains very good anti-aging properties. I have found a way to make Oriental Beauty Tea from those tea leaves that have been eaten by worms. The taste is not bitter but has a mild aroma, especially suitable for women,” Mr. Lau revealed.

With the same summer tea material, thanks to the application of new techniques, the selling price has doubled compared to the traditional method. Oriental Beauty Tea is currently priced at 1.65 million VND/kg, higher than spring tea (1.5 million VND/kg).

Bringing highland tea to the world , helping people stabilize their livelihoods

From a small business, in 2021, Mr. Trieu Vinh Lau established Dragon Beard Tea Company Limited. He explained that the company's name implies that the ancient tea buds picked from the wild highlands are as rare and luxurious as "dragon beard".

With little capital and no media team, Mr. Lau persevered in every step of tea processing and production with the motto of trying to preserve the natural qualities of Tay Con Linh mountains and forests.

Currently, Mr. Lau's company is selling more than 30 products made from ancient tea trees that meet "wild" standards - more popular than "organic" or "clean" standards.

Currently, Mr. Lau's company is selling more than 30 products made from ancient tea trees. Photo: Binh Minh

Once the product was stable, he began to look for ways to expand the market. He proactively sought out tea community groups on the Internet, actively introduced the product, sent samples, and listened to feedback to grasp the tastes.

And then, the miracle happened. The first small order went to the US, then the second, the third… Customers came back, trusted, and placed larger orders. Now, Dragon Beard Tea products are being regularly consumed by partners in the US.

In addition to the US market, Mr. Trieu Vinh Lau is also promoting his return to the Chinese market, completing procedures to bring Vietnamese branded products through official channels.

When asked why small businesses can go so far, Mr. Lau laughed: “Because they are small, they can easily maneuver. Small and streamlined, it is easy to meet the people you need to meet. Too big can sometimes be cumbersome. The US market is difficult, but not impossible. The important thing is whether you are willing to start or not.”

The delicate, indigenous products of "Dragon Beard Tea" not only helped Mr. Lau to start his business but also brought stable income to dozens of households in the highlands.

There are three tea crops a year (spring, summer, autumn). During the tea crop, it is estimated that Mr. Lau's company purchases about 1.5 tons of fresh tea per month, creating income for 40-50 households in the highlands, each household can earn from 10 to 12 million VND per month - a very significant number in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. With his company purchasing raw materials, people do not have to bring them to the retail market, thereby creating a more stable income.

In each village, there is a local resident who acts as his “eyes and ears”, helping him collect good tea leaves, control product quality and transport them to the processing factory. This model not only saves costs for the company, but also promotes the role of the people in the value chain.

“The more people we can help, the better, and we are also helping ourselves. When people have a stable source of income, they will be willing to accompany us to ensure that quality only increases, not decreases, and my business can also feel secure in its sustainable development,” Mr. Lau confided.

The biggest difficulty on Trieu Vinh Lau's journey of starting a business in the middle of the jungle now is limited potential.

“Maybe because my business is still too small, it has not yet accessed the government's support policies, programs, and projects for ethnic minority and mountainous areas,” Mr. Lau confided, expressing his wish for more support to make more solid progress in the future.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nguoi-dan-ong-dua-che-co-thu-tu-dinh-nui-tay-con-linh-sang-my-2447232.html