From Taiwan to Vietnam: Hsu Kuo-an's mastery of ancient tree tea

Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) For more than a decade Taiwanese tea maker Hsu Kuo-an (徐國安) has cultivated premium ancient tree tea in northern Vietnam, applying Taiwanese tea-making techniques to wide acclaim as a master of the craft in Vietnam.

It is a six-hour drive north from Hanoi to Hà An Trà, Hsu's tea production base, tucked into the serene mountains of Hoàng Su Phì.

The area is famous for its rare ancient tree tea and is home to numerous ethnic minorities, including the Tày, Nùng, Dao and Dao Đen. About half of local residents recognize the name "Hà An Trà," or its founder, who they call "Uncle An."

The reference is to Hsu, the founder of Hà An Trà and a descendant of a tea-producing family from Miaoli County in Taiwan.

Although the Hà An Trà brand of tea is not sold in retail shops and is never advertised, Vietnamese artists, politicians, business figures and foreign ambassadors rush to place orders for its limited offerings.

Becoming a renowned ancient tree tea maker

Hsu learned how to make tea from his family at a very young age.

He discovered ancient tree tea in 2011, when a local Vietnamese politician he met at the first Vietnam International Tea Show invited him to view ancient tea trees and try the tea produced from them. "It was so pure, out of the original ecosystem," he recalled. "I loved it so much that I stayed."

Unlike conventional tea farms, where leaves are harvested from shrubs, ancient tree tea comes from forest trees that are more than a century old. Hsu's cloud-shrouded groves of wild tea trees thrive on rocky terrain at elevations close to 2,400 meters deep in the mountains.

Reflecting on his journey, he told CNA, "I can't remember how I survived…When I first arrived, there wasn't even a path. Even now, you still need 20 minutes in a car, four hours on a scooter -- all on rocky roads, crossing over 20 streams, to get there."

"However, you cannot find the same precious tea anywhere else on earth," he said, "not even in Taiwan."

Local ethnic minorities harvested and drank the tea from wild tea trees on their own and referred to it as "celestial tea" (仙茶). Although it's pure and healthy, its original taste was bitter and lacked aroma, making it difficult to sell.

A local tea lover called A-Kuang (阿光), told CNA that Hsu tried countless times to tame the bitterness of ancient tree tea. "He is the first in Vietnam to do so," he added.

Passing down skills

Without prior experience, Hsu struggled so much with production that he was often reduced to tears of frustration. Drawing on his family's tea-making experience, he introduced Taiwanese tea-making processes to improve quality.

"If it were not for my family's experience producing Oriental Beauty Oolong, I would have achieved nothing today," he said.

By bringing Taiwan's tea-making techniques to Vietnam, Hsu became a pioneer ancient tree tea maker in the country.

Hsu notes that when he makes tea, he strives to balance natural temperature, humidity and weather, following the rhythms of nature. "When brewing tea, fresh leaves, skilled hands and machinery must work together to create the perfect flavor."

Before his mother passed away, she reminded him that tea makers should never be satisfied with the taste of their own tea. "Only when a customer comes back to buy it again," she said, "can you be happy for a moment."

Hsu said he never forget her words and has carried them with him ever since. "I aspire to uphold the spirit of Taiwanese tea makers and produce fine Vietnamese ancient tree tea and wild mountain tea," he said.

Taiwan's advantage in tea production is innovation, Hsu said, adding that while Vietnam has fertile soil, it lacks know-how. He sees potential for collaboration between the two countries, as Taiwan could explore new production processes, techniques and packaging.

Tram Tran, a local sommelier, said she finds more joy in drinking Hsu's Hà An Trà than other teas because she knows where it comes from and how it was made. "There's passion in his tea," she said.

Taiwan is one of the top tea-producing countries with a rich history. "I am glad a Taiwanese expert has introduced Taiwan's skills and machinery to improve local products," she added.