Xuất bản thông tin Xuất bản thông tin

Suoi Giang Van Chan Shan Tuyet Tea is a famous product of Van Chan district, Yen Bai province. This is the second geographical indication of this province on Shan Tuyet tea, after Shan Phinh Ho tea. Coming to Suoi Giang Van Chan, in addition to visiting the wild and majestic beauty of the Northwest mountains, tourists can also enjoy the taste of Shan Tuyet tea in the middle of a famous tea plantation that have been here for hundreds of years.

The tea buds are curly, dark green, and have a lot of white spots and a strong aroma. The color of the Shan Tuyet tea of Suoi Giang Van Chan is green and yellow like honey. The tea has a mild acrid taste, clear sweetness, and a lingering aftertaste. This feeling is demonstrated by indicators such as tannin content from 23.1 to 23.9%, soluble content from 51.3 to 53.6%, amino acid content from 2.77 to 4.53 %, total catechin content from 144.0 to 180.0mg/g, caffeine content from 3.5 to 4.3%.

The tea "Suoi Giang Van Chan" tea, which bears the geographical indication, is a variety of Shan Tuyet tea grown in mountainous areas over 600m above sea level, with a slope of 8o - 30o, the average annual temperature is from 22oC to 26oC, the average day-night temperature amplitude ranges from 8oC to 9oC, annual rainfall ranges from 1,200mm to 1,800mm, the annual average humidity is from 83% - 87%. The soil of the geographical area is red-yellow and consists of clay and metamorphic rocks, the mechanical composition is from light to medium flesh, and the cultivation layer is over 1m thick. These topographical, climatic, and soil are suitable for the growth of Shan Tuyet tea plants. They help the plant to better accumulate material through its leaves which will raise the quality of tea products.

Harvest time and method influence the quality of raw tea. The farming practice of the locals in the geographical area is to pick tea with a branch of 2-3 leaves, these are good raw materials for tea processing because they contain high levels of polyphenols and caffeine. If the tea leaves are not fresh, in addition to the reduced tea quality, the growth and development of the tea plant will also be affected.

When the tea buds have been picked from the plant, the withering process is considered the first processing stage. From here, the tea buds are processed under the required storage time and conditions. Therefore, transporting fresh tea buds has a great influence on product quality. If the tea buds are pressed tightly in the basket for a long time, it will lead to stifling, reducing the quality of the tea (especially in the summer). Therefore, the harvest needs to strictly adhere to the tea collection technique, that is, only picking 1 branch of 2-3 leaves (only picking the third leaf in the case of young leaves). The condition is not to collect tea when it rains and there is wet dew on the tea leaves. When harvesting, it should be taken not to squeeze the tea tightly in the bag, not to crush the tea buds, and not to leave the tea in the sun after picking. After being harvested, tea is brought to the processing place and spread evenly on flat surfaces, the thickness of the tea layer is not more than 20 cm in a cool place, and the storage time is not more than 4 hours to ensure that the tea buds are still fresh. It is these things that help to keep the tea buds in the best condition when put into processing.

Creating the unique color and flavor of Shan Tuyet tea, the final step is processing, which is the decisive step that makes the difference in the product. In the past, processing methods were usually done manually, requiring the experience of tea makers. With their senses, the tea processor needs to adjust the fire to be even and the temperature to be suitable at each stage. The step of rubbing the tea needs to be clever so that the tea buds can hunt again.

Nowadays, machines are put into production, so the producer must have good techniques and good transformation process knowledge. High or low processing temperature affects product quality. Suoi Giang Van Chan Shan Tuyet Tea is fermented at a high temperature of over 300oC or is the biggest fire if it is made with firewood for 3-5 minutes. In the drying step of tea, for the first 15-20 minutes, it is necessary to let the temperature of the barrel stay at about 95 - 105oC, then lower the temperature gradually to 70oC. The tea is dried until it becomes crispy, and the moisture content in the tea ranges from 3-5%. In addition, to ensure the origin of the product, Shan Tuyet tea products are packed right in the geographical area.

The combination of the above-mentioned natural geographical conditions and human factors has brought about the unique characteristics and quality of the famous Shan Tuyet Suoi Giang Van Chan tea.

Geographical area: Nam Bung commune, Gia Hoi commune, Nam Muoi commune, Sung Do commune, Suoi Quyen commune, Suoi Giang commune, Suoi Bu commune of Van Chan district, Yen Bai province.

Center for Examining Geographical Indication and International Trademark