Processing oolong tea according to Vietnamese taste

From the tea variety used to make oolong tea costing millions of dong per kilogram, Su Anh cooperative in Yen Son, Tuyen Quang has ‘Vietnamized’ to suit the market.

Located on the edge of the city. Tuyen Quang, about half an hour’s drive from the city center, Su Anh cooperative is now replicating the tea variety originating from Taiwan, which is used to make oolong tea. This is a tea variety with high quality, mild aroma, and suitable for the province’s soil. According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Su, owner of the cooperative, the finished oolong tea has been deodorized. This is not suitable for the majority of Vietnamese consumers, who are familiar with the acrid taste of famous brands such as Tan Cuong and Thai Nguyen tea. To bring a high-end product closer to users, Su Anh cooperative has imported all tea varieties, which are used to produce oolong tea. However, in the processing stage, Mr. Su’s cooperative kept the same method as that of traditional tea so as not to lose the tannin – the factor that causes the characteristic acrid taste. The entire tea production process is invested with modern equipment by Su Anh cooperative. In particular, this machine to kill yeast and flavor tea was purchased by the cooperative for about 100 million VND. The use of the machine is to keep the yeast killing process at a stable temperature, avoiding the phenomenon of over or under fire compared to traditional wood burning. Besides technology, input factors are also particularly interested in Su Anh cooperative. According to Mr. Su, before harvesting, he often tells workers to wait for a few days of strong sunlight to prevent the tea from being pale. After being picked, tea must be brought to the factory within a few hours, so that the tea leaves are not crushed or crushed. Ngoc Thuy tea products of the cooperative are completely hand-picked, following the “one shrimp two leaves” standard. This is the top, freshest and youngest part of the tea plant. To ensure quality, Su Anh cooperative has opened many workshops, close to the raw material area, to ensure the processing progress. Compared to oolong tea originating from China, Ngoc Thuy tea of ​​Su Anh cooperative is more accessible in price. In particular, the tea still retains the characteristic acrid taste according to the taste of Vietnamese people. The product has achieved 4-star OCOP certificate of Tuyen Quang province.