Join the Hmong people in picking leaves from ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees - a specialty of Ta Xua.

Shan Tuyet tea is a specialty of Ta Xua commune, Bac Yen district, Son La province. Ta Xua is usually known for its legendary "Dinosaur's Backbone" mountain range, where you can witness breathtaking seas of clouds. However, don't forget that Ta Xua also boasts Shan Tuyet tea, a specialty dubbed "Vietnam's finest tea." And to produce a cup of premium Shan Tuyet tea, the process of picking tea leaves and making the tea is truly not simple.

One early morning, as the sun began to set over Ta Xua, Tong and I went to pick Shan Tuyet tea leaves in Be village. From Tra May Hostel, we went straight along the road to Be village, Ta Xua. Luckily, the road had been paved with cement, so our journey wasn't too difficult.

The road to Be village is breathtakingly beautiful, with sea of ​​clouds enveloping the path on both sides. The most beautiful section, in my opinion, is where on one side you can see the entire Bac Yen area submerged in fluffy clouds, and on the other side, the sea of ​​clouds at the legendary Dinosaur's Backbone.

Continuing along that road, we had to go deeper into the mountains. The further we went, the more Hmong houses began to appear. It was the Hmong New Year, so Hmong children were playing on both sides of the road.

The road became incredibly muddy and difficult as we ventured deeper into the mountains. At one point, our wheels even slipped, and the two girls nearly fell out onto the road.

The Shan Tuyet tea plants are starting to appear. Tong told me that the Shan Tuyet tea plants growing freely on the mountain are up to 300-400 years old. At first glance, the Shan Tuyet tea plant has a sturdy, large, and somewhat rough trunk. The leaves are smooth, and the older leaves seem a bit larger and split outwards.

To pick tea leaves, Tong has to climb all the way to the top of the tree. The fresh, vibrant green tea shoots are carefully placed into his basket. The quality of the tea largely depends on the leaves. Typically, tea pickers choose young leaves; old leaves are not picked because they don't make good tea.

In a single day, the people of Ta Xua can gather two baskets full of tea leaves to take home. Shan Tuyet tea leaves must be harvested seasonally to obtain a large quantity, so the people of Ta Xua usually harvest them from March to September. The peak season for leaf production is around April and May.

After harvesting, we returned to the Shan Tuyet tea factory to observe the tea-making process. After harvesting, the tea leaves are placed in large trays and dried until the water drains off. Then, the tea is passed through a fresh tea grinding machine. Finally, all the ground tea is poured into a tea rolling machine. The tea is divided into two types: bamboo tea and pellet tea. Depending on the type, the leaves are placed into two different machines to create the desired shape.

After the shaping process, the tea is then put into a drying machine before being packaged as a finished product.

The tea-making process is also extremely difficult. To get a good cup of tea, first, you must use a spoon to scoop the tea leaves from the bag into the teapot. After boiling the water, don't pour it directly into the teapot containing the tea leaves; instead, pour it into another teapot. Continuing this process, the tea maker takes the teapot with hot water and begins pouring it into the teapot containing the tea leaves. The amount of tea brewed should be just right, not too little and not too much. After pouring water into the teapot, the tea maker also uses hot water to rinse the entire teapot, allowing the heat to radiate from the outside to the inside. The teacups are also warmed by the hot water. After steeping for 30 seconds, the tea is ready to be served.

The proper way to drink Shan Tuyet tea follows the contemporary tea-drinking principle of "first water, second tea, third cup, fourth teapot, fifth company," meaning that the most important thing in tea drinking is the water, followed by the tea itself, then the cup, fourth the teapot, and finally the company of tea-drinking companions.

Shan Tuyet tea is a precious specialty of Ta Xua people, and to this day, this premium tea continues to captivate countless visitors to Ta Xua. Shan Tuyet tea is currently produced by Tay Bac Tea and Specialty Company Limited and is affectionately called "Vietnam's finest tea".

Currently, the Shan Tuyet tea brand offers three main types of tea: bamboo tea, cloud tea, and ball tea. Customers can choose according to their preferences. When visiting Ta Xua, remember to buy a pack of Shan Tuyet tea as a gift for your loved ones!

Huynh Kien