International Tea Day (May 21) was approved by the United Nations as a special day for tea growers, tea producers - traders and tea drinkers around the world, aiming to raise public awareness of the importance of tea for rural development and sustainable livelihoods, as well as improve the tea value chain to contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. On this occasion, artisan Nguyen Ngoc Tuan had a conversation with Quang Nam Newspaper about his relationship with Vietnamese tea.
Vietnamese Tea - a part of Vietnamese culture
* In your opinion, how are Vietnamese tea and Vietnamese culture connected? Why do some people say that promoting Vietnamese culture cannot be done without mentioning tea?
Artisan Nguyen Ngoc Tuan: Currently, we have 34 tea growing and processing areas in 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam. Export output has been in the top 5 in the world for many years. Vietnamese tea has become more and more known to the world.
Throughout the history of the nation, the tea tree has been closely associated with the life of the Vietnamese people. The custom of drinking fresh tea is a unique and distinctive cultural feature. It has existed for generations and is still a daily drink whether you live in the countryside or in a bustling city.
We still have many customs such as: rubbing fresh tea leaves on the feet of newborn babies in the hope that they will grow up with strong feet like the Mong people.
Or worship the forest god, the tree god every year to make the tea tree grow big and many tea buds of the Dao people. The Mong people in the Northwest and in the midland of Thai Nguyen love the tea tree like a good friend.
Growing and caring for tea trees and the custom of drinking tea are part of Vietnamese life, the way of drinking tea is a cultural characteristic of Vietnamese people.
Tea plants grow and develop in different regions with different geographical, soil and climate conditions, nurturing tea plants with unique aromas and flavors. At the same time, the tea drinking and tea tasting style of each region also carries its own cultural beauty.
It is also fresh tea that is drunk daily, but if you go from the Red River Delta to the Southwest, you will see changes to suit the climate and soil. The way of drinking and enjoying tea in the South and the North also has its own beauty.
Vietnamese tea is a part of Vietnamese culture. It is present in every corner of Vietnamese life. It is a simple gift but contains noble material and spiritual values.
* What is the value of tea for health and spirit, sir?
Artisan Nguyen Ngoc Tuan: Tea is considered a medicine, a drug. Zen master Tue Tinh - the Vietnamese tea saint wrote in the book "Nam Duoc Than Hieu": "Minh Tra - delicious tea, sweet taste, slightly cold, moistens the internal organs, expels wind, brightens the eyes, lightens the head, reduces phlegm, treats dysentery, and digests food".
Today, science has proven and discovered many benefits of drinking tea for human health. Tea contains nearly 400 active ingredients divided into 13 groups that are beneficial for preventing and fighting some diseases.
It should be noted that tea has two sides. You should avoid drinking tea in some cases and know how to use tea properly, choosing tea that is suitable for your own body.
The process of drinking and enjoying tea is also a way to learn and discover yourself. The flavor in tea can only be felt and understood by those who actually drink it. What is the aroma, what is the taste, how many layers of flavor are there?
Without experiencing it, we cannot feel its value. Drinking and enjoying tea will open the door to knowledge, attracting us to discover more about the beauty of people who have devoted their whole lives to the tea plant.
That is why tea is the second most popular drink after water consumed all over the world.
Back to yourself
* Is it true that tea is also a means to calm down, to return to oneself, and that sipping a cup of tea is also a way for people to find themselves?
Artisan Nguyen Ngoc Tuan: Tea is a drink that cannot be drunk in a noisy and crowded place. To enjoy a cup of good tea, you need to combine six necessary and sufficient elements: first water, second tea, third brewing, fourth teapot, fifth music, and sixth house.
Tea can be drunk alone or with two people - but not with more than 6 people, not too many people.
Unlike many other drinks, to have a perfect cup of tea, the tea drinker must make the tea. Making tea is a process that connects the six elements above.
Making tea is a process of self-training. Each tea-making movement must be neat, beautiful, and especially convey your feelings and soul into the cup of tea.
I call those who make tea “Tea Heart” to praise those who are using tea to find ways to practice and improve themselves. Every time we make tea or sip a cup of tea, we cherish every precious moment, discover the rustic flavor of the tea, understand and love the tea plants and the tea makers more…
Spend some time each day drinking or enjoying tea and you will feel more relaxed, more peaceful, and receive more positive energy to continue your good work.
“Thien tre nhat vi” is something everyone has probably heard at least once. But how you feel about it is up to each individual. I have witnessed and participated in many different tea meditation sessions at home and abroad. Currently, tea meditation activities in Vietnam are receiving a lot of attention. In my opinion, the tea meditation sessions held in temples or outside are doing a good job of connecting people together, building healthy cultural activities, and useful playgrounds. It has the effect of attracting young people to more inner activities. This is the “visual” part of tea meditation activities. The hidden part inside needs more time.
Artist Nguyen Ngoc Tuan
* It is known that you are also a book author in addition to your role as a businessman, as well as a Vietnamese tea artisan? What content do you convey in your books?
Artisan Nguyen Ngoc Tuan: I am fortunate to travel a lot and meet many people whose entire lives are tied to the tea tree. I truly admire them and want to tell everyone about them. That is the reason I chose to write a book to tell the stories of the people and tea trees that I have had the chance to meet.
My first book is “Sketch of Famous Vietnamese Tea”, which tells about the special tea regions in Vietnam that I visited many years ago and the real people who are preserving Vietnam's precious product, tea.
The next book is “Enjoying Tea is Beautiful and Joyful”. This book carries the message: If you have never drunk tea, read it to see the magic of tea. If you often drink tea, read it to see how you enjoy tea, and find yourself a perfect cup of tea.
And now I am completing the book “Finding Tea” - to answer the question of what is tea that everyone likes to show off their knowledge of tea. I hope everyone will find it to read. Especially, this book is helped and supported by dear friends, it will be bilingual English - Vietnamese.
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