Vietnamese tea products honoured at international contest

The gold prize came to Sense Memory spiced citrus tea, while the silver was given to Be Better floral and honey tea. Flying Red Dragon yellow tea and Hoang Lien Son Memory fermented tea received the bronze prize. Nine of the award-winning tea products are produced by Sobica Sodeli, which has so far earned 45 prizes at international competitions, including six made through the company's collaboration with tea artisan Nguyen Cao Son in an effort to promote Sa Pa ancient Shan tea from Lao Cai province and Moc Chau Oolong tea from Son La province.

Vu Thi Hang, Chairwoman of Sobica Sodeli, said that for Vietnamese tea to become a distinctive and renowned product on the global stage, it is necessary to change the mindset of production, with a focus on highlighting the unique flavours of the tea and combining natural ingredients to create products that are beneficial to health while meeting tastes of consumers.

Sharing her impression of the richness and diversity of Vietnamese tea, Carine Baudry, Chair of the 2024 AVPA Tea World International Contest’s jury commented that the fertility of Vietnam's land creates the diversity of tea-growing regions, from the mountains to the plains, offering a wealth of varieties from colour to flavour. Europeans highly value both the quality and the rich flavours of Vietnamese tea, she said.

For his part, Philippe Juglar, President of AVPA, stated that Vietnam had provided him with wonderful experiences with Vietnamese tea and coffee. He said he hopes to see more Vietnamese products participating in the annual AVPA contest."

Meanwhile, Anton Tourtier, a visitor to the event, said that the richness of Vietnamese tea has not yet been widely known globally. Bringing Vietnamese products to international competitions like those of AVPA is a great idea, helping introduce the product to a broader consumer community, as the award is like a guarantee of the product’s value.

First held in 2018, the contest aims to recognise teas and herbal teas that offer true culinary value far surpassing the standard consumption of packaged products.

According to Research and Markets, the growth of the tea industry is steadily increasing due to changing lifestyles and growing consumer awareness of the health benefits of drinking tea. The global tea market is expected to reach 37.5 billion USD by 2025, much higher than the 24.3 billion USD recorded in 2016.

Currently, Vietnam ranks fifth in the world for tea exports and seventh for global tea production. In 2023, Vietnam's tea exports reached 121,000 tonnes worth 211 million USD. Vietnamese tea products are now available in 74 countries and territories. Statistics from the Vietnam Tea Association indicated that 34 provinces and cities across the country are cultivating tea with a total area of 123,000 hectares, with an average output of nearly 0.95 tonne per hectare, equivalent to 1.02 million tonnes of fresh tea buds./