Ha Giang ancient Shan Tuyet tea - connecting the quintessence of mountains and forests

BHG - Ha Giang - the land at the head of the country with diverse natural resources and rich in traditional cultural colors of 19 ethnic groups. Special natural and soil conditions have brought to Ha Giang special and unique agricultural products. Among them, it is impossible not to mention a product with both natural and cultural value, which is Ha Giang ancient Shan Tuyet green tea. It can be considered a typical symbol of natural beauty and sophistication in tea culture, produced from tea trees hundreds of years old. Ha Giang is known as a key tea production area of ​​the country with a total area of ​​over 20,300 hectares, ranking 3rd after Lam Dong and Thai Nguyen provinces, of which the Shan Tuyet tea area is up to more than 18,600 hectares, accounting for 90.28% of the tea area of ​​the whole province; Shan Tuyet tea area for harvest reached nearly 14,000 hectares, with output of over 55,000 tons.

Harvesting and processing ancient Shan Tuyet tea in Lung Phin commune, Dong Van

In recent years, the application of science and technology in agricultural production towards organic, VietGAP and product quality management has been given special attention and implemented by Ha Giang province with the aim of building agricultural products.   ensure quality, safety, increase processing and develop the agricultural, forestry and fishery market in Ha Giang province. In particular, the tea production model according to organic standards with an area of ​​tea certified to meet organic standards of 1,197.36 hectares (of which according to EU standards is 1,196.56 hectares; according to Vietnamese standards is 0.8 hectares); for production according to VietGAP standards, the newly certified tea area is 5.0 hectares/10 households/01 facility.

People of Xuan Minh commune, Quang Binh district harvest spring tea.

In Ha Giang, Shan Tuyet tea grows and develops completely naturally, along the Tay Con Linh mountain range and is distributed in almost all districts, but the most abundant and famous are in Lung Phin (Dong Van), Phin Ho (Hoang Su Phi), Tham Ve, Bo Duot (Vi Xuyen). The tea grows on mountain tops at an altitude of 300 - 1,500m above sea level, covered with clouds all year round. The tea roots are over 300 years old, 20 - 80 cm in diameter. Each tea leaf usually has a layer of fine white hairs like snow, the leaves and buds are often larger than other types of tea. The nutrients provided to the plant are completely from the water source containing many minerals, creating a unique and good quality Shan Tuyet tea product, with a characteristic flavor and specificity (fragrant, delicious, clean). Up to now, Ha Giang province has 1,629 ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees recognized as Vietnamese Heritage by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment, making Ha Giang the locality with the largest number of ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees recognized as Vietnamese Heritage trees in the country. This is an important premise to increase the economic value of tea, open up new development opportunities, help enhance the brand and create added value for Ha Giang Shan Tuyet tea products.

Shan Tuyet tea grows and develops completely naturally along the Tay Con Linh mountain range and is distributed in almost all districts.

With the processing experience passed down through many generations of Mong and Dao ethnic people living in Ha Giang, they have always kept meticulous and careful recipes and techniques that do not remove the white layer of snow on the tea buds and create perfect tea products from color, flavor, and are carefully preserved for each different type of tea.

Ha Giang's Shan Tuyet tea has a golden color like honey and a bit of snow powder from the tea leaves on the water surface. When enjoying, you will first feel the gentle aroma, then the slight bitterness and immediately after that the rich sweetness creates a special attraction, giving the drinker an extremely relaxing feeling. In addition, Shan Tuyet tea in Ha Giang is also famous for its outstanding health benefits, meeting the organic consumption trend that is popular in the market. The special factors from the growing environment to the processing process have created a very unique flavor and quality. Ha Giang ancient Shan Tuyet organic green tea not only stands out thanks to its unique flavor but is also popular because of the health benefits it brings, becoming a familiar drink for many natural tea lovers. Its nutritional composition is likened to a natural "medicine cabinet", including many powerful antioxidants, along with important vitamins for the body. These useful nutritional values ​​help Ha Giang's ancient Shan Tuyet organic green tea become an ideal choice for those who want to maintain good health and are passionate about tea products.

Up to now, Ha Giang's Shan Tuyet tea has had two national 5-star OCOP tea products (including 100g Green Tea and 100g Black Tea) of Phin Ho Tea Processing Cooperative (Hoang Su Phi). With continuous efforts, in recent years, Ha Giang province's Shan Tuyet tea has increasingly affirmed its quality to the world. At the 2019 International Tea Competition, 17 countries participated with 128 tea samples. The voting results were announced, Vietnam had 6 awards with tea lines from different regions. In which, the awards given to Ha Giang tea include: The World Impression Award was given to - Tay Con Linh ancient Shan Tuyet white tea of ​​Ha Giang province; The World Gold Award was given to Tay Con Linh ancient Shan Tuyet black tea of ​​Ha Giang province and Tay Con Linh 1-bud ancient Shan Tuyet black tea received the Silver Award. The awards have contributed significantly to affirming the quality and unique products from ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees of Ha Giang.

Article and photos: Xuan Phuc

Source: https://baohagiang.vn/kinh-te/202504/che-shan-tuyet-co-thu-ha-giang-ket-noi-tinh-hoa-cua-nui-rung-80136b0/