Vietnamese Oolong Tea

If we count from 1988 – the year when the Taiwanese (Chinese) first introduced Oolong tea to the B'Lao plateau – to 2025, that tea variety has taken root in this land for 37 years.

The art of Vietnamese tea making

Tea expert Nguyen Manh Hung (Tri Viet Tea Company, Ward 3, Bao Loc) believes that, having taken deep root in the highland soil for so many years, absorbing the highland air of Vietnam, and being grown, cared for, and processed by Vietnamese hands, it is more than enough to affirm that Oolong tea grown in Vietnam has been Vietnamized, bearing the color, aroma, taste, and appearance of Vietnamese tea.

Speaking about the history of tea, tea expert Trinh Quang Dung – author of the monumental work on tea, "5,000 Years of Vietnamese Tea Civilization" – believes that tea has a history of over 5,000 years accompanying the tea-drinking culture of the Vietnamese people. However, Oolong tea – a fragrant tea variety – only appeared in Vietnam in 1988. Nguyen Manh Hung shared: “In 1988, Taiwanese people began transplanting, planting, and processing Oolong tea in the B'Lao plateau, Lam Dong . Three years later, Oolong tea was widely grown in Lam Dong. During this time, some Vietnamese people independently improved the land, planted, processed, and exported Oolong tea, alongside Taiwanese tea companies.” According to Mr. Hung, even during the period when Vietnamese people worked for Taiwanese employers, the technical departments were mostly handled by Vietnamese people, not Taiwanese. This demonstrates the sensitivity and sophistication of the Vietnamese people in adapting tea-making techniques to create a tea with a distinctly Vietnamese flavor.

Oolong tea encompasses many varieties: Oolong Jin Xuan, Oolong White, Oolong Si Gui, Oolong Cui Yu, Oolong Hong Xin, Oolong Qing Xin, Oolong Tie Guan Yin, Oolong Wu Yi, etc. Each variety has its own unique cultivation, care, and processing methods. Each variety uses a different raw material. Different raw materials require different processing methods, and consequently, the resulting tea products will also differ. Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung stated that many oolong tea companies worldwide label their products as originating from Taiwan, but in reality, these teas are grown, cared for, and processed in Vietnam, embodying the authentic Vietnamese tea flavor, crafted by the hands and minds of Vietnamese people. "We should be proud that Vietnamese oolong tea is made by the hands and intellect of Vietnamese people," Mr. Hung frankly stated.

Oolong tea has established its position in the international market. According to the province's tea industry development plan, Lam Dong will strengthen supply chain linkages in the coming years, while applying high technology in cultivation, care, and deep processing, alongside exploiting tourism associated with tea culture to increase sustainable value. Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son also acknowledged at the World Tea Fest 2025 that Lam Dong plays a central role in the national tea industry value chain. Thus, tea grown, cared for, and processed by Vietnamese people will continue to spread Vietnamese cultural stories and pride in Vietnamese tea, with famous brands such as B'Lao Tea and Cau Dat Tea.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/tra-o-long-viet-412339.html