Artisan Tea

Artisan tea is an elite of Vietnamese tea, thanks to distinctive production methods that have been perfected over many generations to provide unique quality. Fresh tea leaves (Camellia Sinensis) prepared in various ways or scented with flowers and herbs are the two primary forms of Vietnamese artisan tea.

Through this article, we will introduce you the best artisan teas and the reliable exporter from Vietnam.

1. The best 8 artisan tea types in Vietnamese tea

Vietnamese artisans have created various impressive and delicious teas over the course of thousands of years of tea culture development. The following are the best 8 Vietnamese artisan tea types:

1.1 Vietnamese Lotus tea

Lotus tea can be considered as a representative of artisan tea in particular and Vietnamese tea culture in general.

Unlike in some countries, where dried lotus flowers are served as lotus tea, Vietnamese Lotus tea uses the aroma of lotus stamens and high-quality tea leaves as the core.

Lotus tea is one of the ancient artisan teas. Thousands of years ago, the artisan used to row a boat to the lotus lake, skillfully placing each pinch of tea in the newly opened lotus, then collecting it early the next morning to prepare tea for the Kings. There is another way to prepare it with a larger quantity, which is to use the lotus stamens scented layer by layer with green tea leaves several times.

Both ways create a premium tea with the characteristic aroma of lotus flowers and stamens, light yellow-green liquor, slightly acrid taste, and sweet aftertaste.

Click here if you want to buy Vietnamese lotus tea with the best quality.

1.2 Vietnamese Jasmine tea

Jasmine tea is another Vietnam’s typical flower-scented artisan tea. Newly bloomed jasmine flowers are usually picked in the afternoon to be ready for the scenting in the evening. Each layer of jasmine flowers and spring green tea is alternated and scented for a few hours, filtered, and then blended with a new layer of flowers. The process is repeated 5-6 times before drying. The number of flowers and tea, the scenting time is decided according to the experience of the artisan.

Vietnamese Jasmine green tea has a grayish-green color, a pleasant fragrance of jasmine flowers, a bright yellow color, a slightly bitter taste, and an impressively sweet floral aftertaste.

1.3 Vietnamese Shan tea

Shan tea is an elite of Vietnamese artisan tea. Shan Tea’s materials crystallize the quintessence of heaven and earth in the northern mountains of Vietnam.

Fresh tea leaves are manually picked from more than 150-year-old tea trees that naturally grow in high mountainous areas. The buds and young leaves are stirred continuously on a hot pan then being put on a flat bamboo basket to cool down and crumbed before being stirred on the pan again.

These steps are repeated several times and need the dexterity of the artisan to keep the nice aroma, good shape, and white fur of the tea leaves.

The Shan tea from Ha Giang province is pale green white tea bud while Shan tea from Suoi Giang, Yen Bai province has a silver-gray color with snow-white spots. The tea leaves are slightly curly, the aroma is very pleasant, the water is clear light green and the taste is mild.

1.4 Vietnamese Earl Grey tea

Although Earl Grey tea does not originate in Vietnam, Vietnamese artisans have contributed to creating Earl Grey tea products that are loved by many consumers around the world.

Vietnamese Earl Grey tea not only has a similar taste as traditional tea but also has the advantage of lower price.

Vietnamese artisans make Earl Grey tea by blending black tea leaves with bergamot oil. The proportion of oil to tea is determined by the customer’s request and the artisan’s experience.

The tea has a distinct citrus bergamot fragrance of British Earl Grey tea. After brewing, it has light orange brown liquor, a cozy aroma and slightly sweet taste.

1.5 Vietnamese Pandan tea

Vietnamese Pandan green tea is a refreshing beverage made by an interesting combination of dried pandan leaves, green tea, and jasmine flowers.

This tea was created by artisans in Middle Vietnam and gradually became popular, especially in hot climate areas or in summer.

The drink has a light green-yellow liquor, a mild tea taste, and a sweet aftertaste, with a delightful floral and herbal aroma of jasmine flower and pandan leaf. People often add ice when enjoying this tea.

1.6 Vietnamese Chamomile tea

Vietnamese Chamomile tea has the main ingredient of dried chamomile flowers. The artisan’s ingenuity is reflected in the regulation of drying time and temperature to ensure that dried flowers retain their shape and color.

• Yellow Chamomile tea: It is the most popular Vietnamese Chamomile tea which is purely made of yellow chamomile. The climate and soil in several of Vietnam’s Northern and Southern provinces (Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Ninh Thuan, etc) are ideal for this plant. The tea has a nice yellow color, bright yellow liquor, distinct chrysanthemum aroma, light pungent sweet taste.

• White Chamomile tea: The tea consists of dried white chamomile flowers, has a light yellowish-white color, typical chrysanthemum scent, and a mildly bitter taste.
• Chamomile with tea and herbs: a harmonious combination of dried chamomile flowers, green tea leaves, and other herbs. The tea has a pleasant aroma, light yellow color, and a slightly bittersweet taste

1.7 Vietnamese Artichoke tea

Artichoke flowers are not only ingredients for nutritious dishes but also developed by Vietnamese artisans into cooling drinks. Artichoke flowers are sliced and dried, convenient for use but still retain the nutrients of the flowers.

The largest source of artichoke is in Da Lat, Lam Dong, where the climate and the soil are suitable for the plant’s growth, resulting in good quality tea.

Artichoke tea in Vietnam can use pure artichoke flowers or combine with tea leaves and other herbs.

1.8 Vietnamese Matcha

Matcha is a famous Japanese tea, but many years ago, Vietnamese artisans also knew how to produce green tea powder manually using a stone mill.

Many Japanese partners believe that Vietnamese Matcha is of comparable quality to Japanese tea and is more cost-effective.

Vietnamese matcha has a fine powder form, fresh green liquor and a characteristic aroma and taste of matcha.

The fact that there are many types of artisan tea may make you wonder how to find a reliable supplier for all of these elites of Vietnamese teas. The answer will be revealed in the next section of the article.

2. FGC –  where you can buy the best artisan teas in Vietnam

If you are looking for the best artisan teas in Vietnam, the first and maybe the only company that you should contact is Future Generation Co. Ltd. (FGC).

With more than 25-year experience of in tea production and export, FGC is a reliable Vietnamese tea company. FGC has a Research and Development department, as well as tea masters who are familiar with traditional tea manufacturing processes and are flexible in their application, constantly creating new products in line with market trends.

To enhance our own tea products while preserving the elite of Vietnamese artisan tea, the company continues to invest in modern manufacturing and packaging machinery from the EU, Japan, Malay, and other countries, allowing us to offer our customers more product and packaging options.

With 15 factories in Vietnam’s main tea regions and a nationwide network of distributors, FGC has created thousands of diverse products and brought artisan tea to worldwide consumers.

FGC’s system operates in strict compliance with ISO and HACCP standards. The company also has a certified organic tea garden.

 Below are some of the artisan tea products that FGC can offer:

Apart from the above 8 types of Vietnamese artisan teas, FGC can research and create numerous new tea products according to your needs.

Making Artisan tea requires not only skill and ingenuity, but also the heart of the artisans who are passionate about creating delicious teas. If you like to purchase Artisan tea – the elite of Vietnamese teas, please contact us at:

• Email: info@vietnam-tea.com or hang.ginafgc@vietnam-tea.com
• Tel: 0084 24 73000125 / 66647788

 Author: Ms. Hang Gina – FGC Sales Executive