Shan Tuyet, tea as nature intended

Shan Tuyet tea is very precious to the Red Dao people in Phin Ho. Trieu Mui Nghinh, a veteran resident of Thong Nguyen Commune in Hoang Su Phi District, has spent her whole life making the tea specialty, which has a slight bitter taste of tea leaves at first, but leaves a sweet after-taste.

Despite her age, Trieu Mui Nghinh still climbs mountains and picks tea every day

Ly Mui Muong, Deputy Director of the Phin Ho Tea Cooperative, said Nghinh’s image was chosen to represent Phin Ho green and red tea, which has been recognized as national five-star One Commune One Product (OCOP) products.

Shan Tuyet tea trees are precious to the Red Dao ethnic group in Phin Ho

Shan Tuyet tea grows completely naturally, without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Currently, 10 percent of more than 4,000 hectares of Hoang Su Phi's tea area are certified organic. Some 140 hectares of Phin Ho’s Shan Tuyet tea are certified by the European Union (EU), reflecting the producers’ vision and efforts in the tea brand’s development. After being harvested, the leaves are dried and often hung above fire stoves for preservation.

Phin Ho Tea Cooperative is the first large-scale tea processing unit in Hoang Su Phi District. Its products are sold via a system of distribution agents in big cities like Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and exported to a number of markets including China, Russia and some EU countries.

“Over the years, we have been strictly following three principles: Clean raw materials, meticulous processing at each stage and well-packed products with transparent information to create trust among consumers,” said Muong.

Trieu Mui Nghinh and Ly Mui Muong tell stories about Shan Tuyet tea trees

The efforts by Muong and her cooperative are gradually improving the lives of local residents, selling its products at advantageous prices in order to obtain the best possible incomes for farmers.