Drinking tea in Europe.

(NLĐO) - When our delegation from Thai Nguyen went to Europe for work, the first carts we used were filled with tea leaves.

We entered the Hanoi restaurant in the heart of the ancient village of Český Krumlov. It was quite chilly in the evening, but the restaurant was very warm. It was even warmer after the meal, chatting with the owner – a Vietnamese expatriate.

The owner asked, "What would you like to drink?" The tour leader happily replied, "We have tea available."

Lush green tea hills not only provide delicious cups of tea, but can also become a wonderful ecotourism destination.

When our delegation from Thai Nguyen went to Europe for work, the first carts we used were filled with tea leaves.

Co-op Khe Coc tea is harvested from the organic tea plantation of a discerning owner. The owner was very hospitable, offering tea and peanut candy, but when the topic of convenient tea bags came up, he smiled and said, "My peanut candy has a green tea flavor, but my clean Thai Nguyen tea is only made in the form of loose leaf tea, handcrafted to preserve its original flavor. Each time I brew tea, it's like embracing each tender tea bud, each drop of sweat, each morning's leaf-picking."

Khe Coc Clean Tea: Delicious tea with a few peanut candies is enough to turn strangers into friends.

So my group set off with boxes of loose leaf tea and tea sets. Although heavy, I thought about it carefully and concluded that only clean, high-quality tea could be confidently given as gifts to business partners and truly represent the identity of Thai Nguyen and the Vietnamese people – using a cup of tea and a piece of peanut candy to begin a friendly conversation.

Knowing my father-in-law enjoys tea, I went to great lengths to find the best varieties. I heard that Pu-erh tea is excellent, with aged varieties costing millions of dong. But the tea cakes I gave him and his friends were unappetizing; they only like loose leaf tea – Thai Nguyen loose leaf tea. As for my parents, when they went to Da Nang, they would ask at every shop they visited: "Do you have tea?" A cup of tea has become an integral part of life, as indispensable as rice to Vietnamese people, or fish sauce to the dinner table.

That evening, in a small restaurant in the heart of an old European village, the chill was dispelled by the warm steam of tea. We, host and guests, were like close friends, chatting until late at night. Suddenly, a wave of nostalgia for our hometowns and homes washed over us.

Drinking tea in Europe: A warm cup of tea is enough to chase away the cold of this distant land.

Holding a cup of hot tea, I fondly recalled the tea shop owner who was steadfast in his commitment to organic loose-leaf tea: "A small teapot, surrounded by family and friends, enjoying tea while gazing at the green hills." The teapot was small, the taste bitter, but the aftertaste sweet, the sweetness of stories waiting to be told.

A simple tray of sweets and treats for Tet, with tea, candy, and flowers, is as joyful as Tet itself.

(Entry for the "Impressions on Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" contest 2026, part of the 4th "Celebrating Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" program organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).

Source: https://nld.com.vn/uong-tra-giua-troi-au-196260320150509896.htm