Tea Culture in Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the world’s biggest tea producers and the country consumes 0.5 lb of tea per capita per year.

The most popular variety in Vietnam is Green tea while the nation also produces Black, White, and Oolong.

However, floral variants of green tea are highly appreciated in many parts of Vietnam, especially the Lotus flower and Green tea leaves.

History of Tea in Vietnam

Although tea in Vietnam exists as a crop for thousands of years, it became commercial in the 1880s during the French colonization.

The high demand for top-quality loose-leaf tea turned Vietnam into the seventh biggest tea exporter worldwide.

Most of the tea farms in Vietnam are small and family-owned. A percentage of the tea is sold to big export companies owned by the government while the rest is managed locally by the farmers.

Vietnamese Tea Culture

People in Vietnam love Green tea with floral tones such as Lotus or Jasmine.

Both, the Green tea leaves and the flowers are cultivated locally and hand-picked by Vietnamese farmers.

Tea is so important in Vietnam that they even have a Wedding Tea Ceremony when the groom asks for the bride’s hand.

Much more than a warm flavorful beverage, tea in Vietnam is part of the ancient tradition and a hospitality gesture.

Boasting light and floral flavors enjoyed by people of all generations, Vietnamese tea is served plain without sugar and milk.

Vietnamese people prefer their tea in a ceramic teacup with no handle and in some parts even in a bowl.

Ceramic, porcelain, and glass teacups are the most common types in Vietnam.