According to local legend, the tea bushes in Tan Cuong have their roots nourished by a river of tears cried for a forbidden love which has endowed them with sweetness and memorable fragrance for eternity. The Tan Cuong commune nestles between the Red River delta and the mountains of the north and is widely recognised in Vietnam for the quality of its teas.
Fish hook tea is processed on a small community farm of 8 hectares by Mr Thien and his family with great skill, care and attention. The tea is produced using only the bud and the youngest leaf which are finely plucked from the tea fields that follow the contours of the undulating hills surrounding the small tea factory.
Tea is produced using traditional hand crafted techniques with wood fired ovens and the skill of the tea master. The tea is initially hand rolled to produce the fish hook shape before being processed. Fish Hook has a natural, pure and full flavour with classic grassy green tea taste but which is surprisingly smooth and sweet although with a little astringency preferred by Vietnamese tea drinkers.