Thai Nguyen Special Green Tea

Green tea is the oldest form of tea, born in south-west China and spread across East Asia. In Vietnam it belongs to the northern midlands and highlands — Thai Nguyen, Ha Giang, Yen Bai — where ancient Shan Tuyet trees still rise through the mist.

Each region lends its own character: Tan Cuong of Thai Nguyen is famed for a golden-green liquor and a lasting sweet return, while ancient Shan Tuyet carries the deep, dense breath of the mountains.

The liquor runs pale to golden green, clear and alive. The aroma suggests young grass and fresh beans, sometimes a whisper of lightly roasted chestnut.

It opens with a gentle astringency that turns quickly into a cool sweetness rising at the back of the throat — what masters call the “returning sweetness”. This is a tea that asks for precise water and heat so it never turns harsh.

The heart of it is “kill-green” — pan-firing or steaming right after plucking to halt the oxidising enzymes, so the leaf keeps its green colour and fresh scent. Pan-firing (Chinese, Vietnamese) gives a warm roasted note; steaming (Japanese) preserves a deep jade hue and an umami savour.

Kill-green is followed by rolling to shape, then drying. The maker's hands decide the curl, the dryness — and with them the whole aromatic register of the batch.

Green tea is the cup of both everyday life and the meditation hall — alert yet still. Warm the pot with hot water, but let the water fall below boiling before it touches the leaf.

Drink while still warm, sipping slowly to meet the full sweet finish. Avoid over-steeping — the beauty of green tea lies in restraint.