A Sip of Tea, a Rich Taste of Vietnamese Tet

Drinking tea during the Lunar New Year (Tet Nguyen Dan) is a long-standing tradition of the Vietnamese people. On a chilly New Year's Eve, the whole family gathers around a fragrant, steaming pot of tea and takes a sip – astringent at first, with a sweet aftertaste – paired with sweet, nutty candied lotus seeds. What could be better?

Tea-drinking culture – A long-standing tradition, distinctly Vietnamese

In Vietnam, tea has long been indispensable in every household, because enjoying tea can be as simple as an everyday habit, both rustic and refined. At times, it becomes elaborate and is elevated into an art deeply imbued with Vietnamese culture.

The Vietnamese way of enjoying tea has its own distinctive features: first appreciating the aroma before drinking, then taking a small sip to feel the tea's astringency, and then slowly sensing the gentle sweetness at the back of the throat.

Tea-drinking culture has a long history in Vietnam, from the cup of tea offered to guests in every Vietnamese family to the image of the tea stall under the banyan tree at the village entrance, with its pot of green tea, bars of peanut candy and pipe of thuoc lao tobacco. In the past, in royal courts and noble households, kings and lords enjoyed tea in elaborate and splendid ways: royal tea was scented, and the water for brewing had to be early-morning dew or water from the headwaters of a stream. In Zen monasteries, meanwhile, people turned to tea to calm their minds in the face of life's storms.

From traditional tea-drinking culture to a refined art of tea enjoyment

Although the Vietnamese art of tea enjoyment does not follow any fixed standard, it still exudes nobility and refinement. Vietnamese tea-drinking culture has weathered the ups and downs of time rather than following a formal way like the Japanese Tea Ceremony, yet it has fully preserved its precious values and become a traditional art.

Vietnamese people do not enjoy tea in an overly elaborate way, but they pay great attention to its flavor. They always take care from the moment the tea leaves sprout, putting great effort into boiling the water, preparing the tea utensils and keeping the teapot warm… to create the most fragrant and perfect pot of tea.

Enjoying Tet tea in the final days of the year

The pleasure of enjoying tea in the last days of the year, amid the winter chill, seems to have become a tradition and a cultural custom of the Vietnamese people. At the year-end gathering, family members sit together around a pot of tea, taking small, slow sips to fully savor the flavor of the essence of heaven and earth.

In Vietnam, the Way – Spirit – Soul of Tea is tied to the circumstances of a country that has endured the upheavals of natural disasters and foreign invasions, yet has always stood firm, resilient, generous and sincere. Life is full of vicissitudes, so what matters most is a peaceful mind, a healthy body and a noble character. Enjoying tea is a way to calm the mind, nurture good health and cultivate a refined character.

As time drifts toward the last days of the year, it is time for us to carry fewer burdens, let go of our worries and come home to gather around a fragrant cup of tea. A warm home with mother and father and loved ones, where love is present and waits with open arms. A cozy hearth, a pot of fresh green banh chung, a branch of apricot blossoms in full bloom, a cup of tea that soothes body and mind… A simple peace that brings happiness.

Enjoy tea in the final days of the year to quietly reflect on what has passed, to share stories with family and friends, and to savor the whole refined and profound world of Bao Loc.

Though the sky ahead may be vast and boundless, every bird has its own direction of flight… Don't miss Doi Dep Tea to begin a fragrant round of Tet tea. We wish you constant peace, greater inner strength – a cultivated spirit – and a higher state of being, as you reach for success in the Year of the Cat (Quy Mao) 2023.

Source: doidep.com

Source: Doi Dep FMCG