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| Mr. Le Son Hai infuses tea with lotus fragrance. |
In 2015, Le Son Hai took over and began managing his family's tea farm, which spans over 1 hectare. He dedicated all his efforts to transforming the farming method from traditional to organic, a challenging choice given the unpredictable difficulties posed by pests, soil conditions, and even weather.
There were times when the tea plantations were almost completely devastated by pests. There were also times when fungal diseases struck, and in other cases, the leaves turned yellow en masse. More than once, he stood silently amidst the sparsely planted tea bushes, wondering if his chosen path was the right one.
But instead of giving up, Hai chose patience. He studied organic farming techniques, creating diverse vegetation to improve the soil and increase the plants' natural resistance. After many seasons of effort, the soil became more porous, microorganisms became more active, and the tea garden gradually revived. The tea sprouts began to grow evenly and healthily. This result did not come from fertilizers or chemical pesticides, but from time, love for tea plants, and unwavering commitment to the concept of "organic."
It wasn't until March 2021, after nearly six years of dedication, that Son Hai officially named his brainchild "An Hai Tea" and registered its intellectual property. He shared: "I didn't originally intend to register it, because for me, the most important thing is product quality, not the brand name. But customers wanted a brand, a standard logo to avoid confusion. So I did it."
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| Tea roasting. |
As someone who respects the cultural value in every cup of tea, Son Hai is very meticulous in choosing his brand image. He wants the logo to have a classic, luxurious yet simple and elegant style, easily recognizable, and to convey a humanistic story connected to Vietnamese tea culture.
More than just a consumer product, An Hai Tea is Son Hai's way of recounting the flavors of homeland memories – something that was once present in every kitchen and every simple conversation of the Vietnamese people.
Currently, in addition to the family-managed farm of over 1 hectare, An Hai Tea also collaborates with 5 neighboring households, expanding the raw material area to approximately 3 hectares. Hai and 4 regular workers handle all stages from harvesting and processing to flavoring, packaging, and distribution. Each product is a blend of organic techniques and a philosophy of living in harmony with nature.
An Hai Tea currently offers two main lines: pure tea and flavored tea. Among these, the flower-flavored tea, especially wolfberry tea, is one of the most special products. This flower was once very common in rural villages, with each household planting only a few plants to use for flavoring tea at home. Today, very few people still practice that method. Hai has chosen to revive it. He personally grows wolfberry flowers year-round, harvests them at the right time, and flavores them immediately after processing to preserve their natural essential oils.
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| An Hai Tea's lotus-scented tea product. |
An Hai Tea's product lines range from affordable to high-end, with prices ranging from 500,000 VND to 15 million VND per kilogram. Among them, "Wolf's Nail Tea" is sold at 650,000 VND per kilogram, and "White Crane Wolf's Tea" at 2 million VND per kilogram. The tea is preserved for 12 months, ensuring its flavor and purity are maintained.
During the lotus season (May and June), Hai also infuses tea with lotus flowers, a type of tea that was once offered and served on important occasions. Notably, some of An Hai Tea's product lines have been selected to be served at the Vietnamese National Assembly , which is a great source of pride for someone working in this midland region.
Beyond just the product, Son Hai is pursuing a path of spreading Vietnamese tea culture through each cup of tea, each experience. He believes that a brand lies not only in its reputation or packaging design, but also in how people tell the story of it sincerely and simply. An Hai Tea is not just a brand; it's the story of a young person returning, starting from their old homeland, with a belief in timeless values – the values of kindness and culture.
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202504/kien-nhangiu-huong-tra-viet-dd1055b/
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