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| During the Mang Chủng season, the harmonious blend of the elegant beauty of magnolia flowers and the subtly sweet, slightly astringent aftertaste of Thai tea creates a tea product with a "golden time" for enjoyment. |
Don't stay in the beaten path.
Mang Chủng means harvesting ripe rice while simultaneously sowing seeds for the next crop. Ancient farmers called this the busiest season of the year because they received two orders at once: harvest quickly and sow quickly. A delay of half a month would ruin the harvest. But the seasons weren't just about the fields.
For modern people today, Mang Chủng is like a reminder of the rhythm of life. Life also has its own "Mang Chủng periods." These are turning points where the right time, place, and people converge. That's when you must act. If you don't sow the seeds, the opportunity will slip away.
Conversely, if we constantly push ourselves to the limit throughout the year without rest, we will be exhausted. Mang Chủng teaches us when to be busy and when to be calm. We should know how to reap what is ripe and sow new hopes. Don't rush too much, but don't be too slow either.
It is amidst the bustling rhythm of nature that the tea makers of Thai Nguyen begin a proud experiment. Thai Nguyen tea is renowned for its "initially bitter, then sweet" taste, imbued with the rich flavor of young rice. But the people of this tea region do not stop at familiar paths.
Ms. Duong Anh, from the La Bang tea-growing region, still remembers the first time she incorporated floral fragrances into her tea, more than a decade ago. With this season and weather, she has the opportunity to continue practicing, refining her old skills into a craft deeply ingrained in her being.
Making scented tea involves a very different process. The original aroma and flavor of tea leaves from the midland region are determined by the tea maker through their drying and roasting techniques. However, the scent of flowers and the process of transferring that fragrance is a completely new world that tea makers must learn from scratch.
Typically, people think that once the flowers and tea come into contact and are brewed, that's it. Few people talk about the temperature, time, and the subtle interaction between these two elements.
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Infusing tea with magnolia blossoms during the Mang Chung season is truly a challenge. Magnolia flowers bloom profusely under the scorching sun, their rich, sweet fragrance enveloping each petal. But the weather at this time is incredibly capricious. At midday, it's dry and hot, the sun harsh and bitter. By afternoon, a violent storm can strike, bringing with it thick, humid air. This drastic temperature and humidity difference makes the process of infusing tea with these blossoms extremely delicate.
A lingering bitterness and a deep sweetness blend together.
Just a door separates two worlds with vastly different temperatures. Thai Nguyen tea leaves are thin and dried, making them extremely sensitive to humidity. Tea makers must constantly monitor the leaves, learning how to separate the fragrance from the petals and skillfully guide it through the layers of tea cells. A single mistake can cost millions of dong, ruining all the effort and expectations.
Each person's point of reference is different. Therefore, the perceived aroma during that process also differs. When the finished product is presented for testing, each person identifies a different aroma and taste. Some might perceive the scent as not yet fully ripe.
Some people find the subtle flavors of tea too obscure. But the ultimate goal of tea makers is to accurately identify the true essence of the flavor.
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| During the Mang Chủng season, tea makers must "guide" the fragrance of the flowers through each layer of tea leaves. |
After experimenting with a new type of flower during the Mang Chủng solar term, the commitment of Thai tea makers has become even stronger. It's a promise of a clean, sweet, and refreshing flavor that will last for years. This commitment applies to both plain tea, fermented tea, and flavored tea.
Many tea buyers only look at the expiration date printed on the packaging. But tea connoisseurs understand that flower-infused tea has a "perfect time" to enjoy it: that's when the delicate fragrance of magnolia blossoms and the lingering, sweet aftertaste of Thai Nguyen tea blend together, reaching their most perfect maturity.
The Magnolia tea for this year's Mang Chủng festival is ready. Its fragrance endures through the cold winds, the scorching sun, and the afternoon rains. It leaves behind a deep, sweet taste to soothe the restless hearts of people.
Life is like a season, tea is like a soulmate; everything has its own time. In June, when the summer sun is still scorching and people need a moment of tranquility, let's meet over a cup of Thai Nguyen tea infused with magnolia blossoms.
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/dat-va-nguoi-thai-nguyen/202606/uop-tra-trong-huong-ngoc-lan-afb1966/
