Tea drinking has been a tradition of Vietnamese people for over three thousand years. It not only is a beverage but also plays key role in spiritual life of Vietnamese. Join us on a trip to discover some kinds of tea in Vietnam.

 

GREEN TEA

Green tea is the most consumed tea in the domestic market in Vietnam (Photo: Internet)

It could not come without mentioning green tea whenever one talks about Vietnamese tea. Green tea has a highly pleasant floral fragrance. Each sip of hot green tea pouring in mouth firstly leaves a little taste of bitter on the tip of the tongue, but that taste immediately transforms to a deep sweet when the tea is off throat.  

One of the most famous green tea growing regions in Vietnam is Thai Nguyen province. The finest green tea start with the youngest and freshest leaves with the standard “1 bud, 2 leaves” ensure the best quality. After being carefully picked, fresh tea buds and leaves will be dried naturally before wilting. Then people will roast the buds and leaves in a pan with fixed level of temperature until the buds begin to curl up and desiccated. The green color now turns into black. Green tea is rich in antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body. Drinking green tea daily helps you improve brain function, lose weight, lower the risk of cancer and many other incredible benefits.

 

WHITE TEA

Enjoying white tea is often seen as an elegant and enjoyable hobby (Photo: Internet)

This is considered one of the most expensive teas due to its limited quantity and special taste. White tea is made from the top buds that are covered with silver fluff. The most important step in making white tea is wilting. Wilting is the stage in which the tea leaves are placed on bamboo poles. After that, the tea leaves will dry in the sun. The main purpose of that wilting stage is to reduce the amount of water in the tea leaves. In addition, the components of protein and plant starch will differentiate into amino acids and sugars. Creates the delicious taste and the scent of tea.

White tea is a great source of antioxidants, polyphenols, catechins, flavonoids, and tannins. At the same time, they contain less caffeine than other teas such as black tea and green tea. According to many scientific studies, white tea has the ability to fight cancer, aid in reducing weight, prevent disease, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

 

BLACK TEA

The name of black tea comes based on the color of tea leaves after being dried (Photo: Internet)

Black tea is only popular in Vietnam in the past because Vietnamese people prefer to drink green tea and tea flavored with flowers.

Black tea is fermented (also known as oxidized) almost 100%. Thanks to the fermentation, the tea leaves have a dark brown color and stronger flavor. Black tea has a very specific flavor such as mild fruity aroma, sometimes like fermented fruit, beautiful color of water, and sweet aftertaste.

Due to the fermentation, black tea will lose some of the characteristic ingredients of fresh tea leaves. And there will also be distinct ingredients which have their own health benefits. Black tea contains many groups of theaflavins and thearubigin which have very good antioxidant abilities. Black tea helps to reduce the risk of several cancers, lowers blood sugar, and support weight loss. It is also good for the nervous system, digestive system, and cardiovascular system.

Read more about black tea here

OOLONG TEA

The name oolong tea came into the English language from the Chinese name meaning "black dragon tea" (Photo: Internet)

Oolong is the tea that takes the most time to process. Oolong tea is oxidized from 8% to 80% and combined with different tea brewing secrets. Oxidation is reflected in the color of the tea water from amber yellow to reddish brown. Thanks to this unique semi-fermentation method, Oolong tea produces pure flavor and brings many healthy nutrients. These tightly curled, deep olive-green leaves unravel to produce a pale green cup with a refreshing sweet and smooth taste. The tea has outstanding notes of honey with a slight spice aftertaste. Oolong Tea is now the choice of many people. Because drinking Oolong tea has good health effects  for example support weight loss, help the skin more beautiful, prevent cancer, etc.

                            

Vietnam has many unique teas with distinct flavors. When you taste a hot and fragrant cup of tea that might wake up the new day with with a sense of joyfulness.