Vietnam has in addition Coffee many other great products to offer. After we already showed you some Spices introduced, today we would like to tell you more about the tea culture in Vietnam.
An ancient tea culture that survives to this day
While the history of coffee is relatively short, the history of tea cultivation in Vietnam is quite different. With a history spanning more than 2,000 years, Vietnam is one of the oldest tea-growing regions in the world and is still a major player on the world market today. Long before the French colonial rulers recognized the economic advantages of Vietnam's climate, tea was already an integral part of Vietnamese culture.
A large part of this was due to the indigenous mountain peoples of Vietnam, who still play a major role in tea production today and are native to Vietnam's breathtaking tea terraces. They were the ones who brought many of the traditions from China over the mountains into the country and spread them. To this day, wild tea trees, some of which are several meters high, grow on the border with China, and the local mountain peoples use them to brew a full-bodied, often slightly earthy black tea.
Modern tea cultivation in Vietnam with Chinese and Japanese influences
Today, Vietnam is the seventh largest tea producer in the world, which is reflected not only in the variety but also in the quality of the tea on offer. The tea is grown in five Vietnamese tea provinces, or tea gardens, which are often known for certain varieties. In the vast majority of cases, processing and harvesting is done by hand.
In addition to traditional green tea There are also many strong black and Oolong tea varieties So-called “scented” teas – especially jasmine and lotus blossom – are becoming increasingly popular.
The influences here do not only come from China, Japan is also playing an increasingly important role in the region. Many Japanese tea farmers now grow tea in Indochina themselves. In Vietnam, it is the Đà Lạt region with the provinces of Lâm Đồng and Mộc Châu in particular where Sencha (煎茶), Bancha (番茶) and Matcha (抹茶) of the highest quality are grown.
Tea is omnipresent in the everyday life of the Vietnamese. Whereas in Western cultures people mostly drink water or juice, in Vietnam tea . It is served to guests in every Vietnamese home and is often served free with meals in many restaurants or street kitchens. But it is also often very cheap, so that it is always accessible even to the poorer population.
It comes in numerous variations; it is drunk warm in the cool mountain regions, cold in humid and warm climates, as bubble tea with fruit and chia seeds, as “Trà Chanh” as iced tea with lemon or as “Trà Gung” with ginger.
It is also always drunk with coffee. In many cafes, a glass of chilled green tea is automatically served with every cup of coffee. Coffee and tea are therefore a natural combination in Vietnam.
A variety of teas are grown in Vietnam. We would like to show you a small selection soon. in our shop You will find out exactly which varieties these are and which regions they come from in the next few weeks here in the blog and via our newsletter.
