Thang Long Ba Kich Wine: The journey to achieving 5-star OCOP status.

Made from medicinal herbs from the mountains and forests of Quang Ninh, Thang Long ginseng wine is perfecting its quality, brand, and market criteria, gradually moving towards OCOP 5-star standards.

Quang Ninh is considered the capital of natural Ba Kich (Morinda officinalis) with concentrated distribution areas in Ba Che, Tien Yen, and Binh Lieu. The Ba Kich roots from this region have a deep purple color, high active ingredient content, and a distinctive aroma. When steeped in traditional rice wine, the resulting product has a deep purple hue, a sweet aftertaste, and a smooth, mellow flavor, distinctly different from many other Ba Kich wines on the market. This is a crucial foundation for Thang Long Ba Kich wine to build its brand based on the quality of its ingredients and local value.

Currently, Thang Long ginseng wine has achieved a 4-star OCOP certification from Quang Ninh province. However, according to assessments by specialized agencies, to reach the 5-star standard, the product needs to continue comprehensively improving from the raw material source and production process to packaging, branding, and market capacity. A 5-star OCOP certification is not just about quality, but also about competitiveness, expanding consumption on a national scale, and aiming for export.

Thang Long Ba Kich wine has received OCOP 4-star certification from Quang Ninh province. Photo: Nguyen Thanh.

Sharing his vision for product development, Mr. Khuc Dinh Phuong, Director of Thang Long Production, Service and Trading Company Limited, said: “We believe that to go far, we must start from the roots. The roots here are the strictly managed areas for growing purple ginseng, harvested at the right age and according to proper procedures, linked to forest protection and sustainable development.”

According to Mr. Phuong, the company is gradually building links with local people, aiming for a stable source of raw materials with clear traceability, meeting the increasingly high demands of the market.

Besides the ingredients, the production process is considered a crucial factor in the product's creation. Thang Long Ba Kich wine is brewed using traditional methods, but with strict control over food safety and hygiene. From the initial processing of the Ba Kich roots and the selection of the base wine to the soaking time and bottling, everything is standardized.

"While preserving the essence of tradition, we cannot simply follow the old methods based on intuition. We apply technology to control quality, ensuring that every bottle of wine reaching consumers is consistent and safe," Mr. Phuong emphasized.

Thang Long's ginseng wine is a popular souvenir for foreign tourists. Photo: Nguyen Thanh.

Another important criterion in the journey to achieving OCOP 5-star status is packaging and branding. In the context of a market flooded with counterfeit herbal liqueurs, building a professional, easily recognizable image with traceability labels is considered a "shield" to protect consumers. Businesses are investing in improving packaging, aiming for a modern style while still preserving regional identity, thereby enhancing product value.

Regarding the market challenge, according to Mr. Phuong, stable domestic consumption is a necessary but not sufficient condition. "To achieve a 5-star rating, the product must demonstrate its ability to penetrate larger markets, including exports. This is a pressure, but also a motivation for us to raise the standards of each stage," Mr. Phuong shared.

Currently, natural sources of Cynomorium are becoming increasingly scarce, quality standards are becoming more stringent, while the investment costs for technology, packaging, and branding are high, posing a significant challenge. For small and medium-sized production facilities, this is a difficult problem to solve.

However, in the context of Quang Ninh province promoting the OCOP program linked to rural economic development, products with a quality foundation like Thang Long ginseng wine are still expected to receive support from policies and the market.

From a traditional folk liquor of the Northeast mountains, Thang Long ginseng wine is gradually moving towards high-quality commercial production. The journey to achieving OCOP 5-star certification may still be long, but it is also a journey to affirm the value of a Quang Ninh specialty, where tradition and modernity meet, both aiming for sustainable development and elevating Vietnamese brands.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/ruou-ba-kich-thang-long-hanh-trinh-cham-den-chuan-ocop-5-sao-d789436.html