Tam Chau Prettifying Vietnamese Tea Culture

In the 1990s, following the State economic opening and reform policy, the boldness and dynamism of many private enterprises helped revitalise the almost-forgotten tea of Lam Dong province in general and Bao Loc City in particular, and reach out the world market with a strong vitality on a new plane. One of the most dedicated companies with tea trees is Tam Chau Co., Ltd, which has made extremely important contributions to the revival of a traditional industrial - agricultural sector of Lam Dong.

Affirming pioneering role
Tam Chau Co., Ltd started official operation in May 1999 as a pioneering tea company of Lam Dong province. The company has maintained a strong growth till today with over 10 member companies. The company is managing hundreds of hectares of export-oriented Oolong tea. General Director Tran Ngoc Thuan recalled that, in May 1999 when Bao Loc people were struggling to find new directions after crop restructuring on the fertile soil of Lam Dong Plateau, the presence of Tam Chau Co., Ltd brought the opportunity to change the life of Bao Loc people, especially ethnic minorities. Previously, Lam Dong tea was a low value export. Tam Chau blew a gust of vitality into the tea, making it dozens of times more valuable.

Although more than 17 years of establishment and development of Tam Chau Co., Ltd is not long relative to many time-honoured tea brands in Bao Loc, its most important contribution is the right direction for Oolong tea cultivation and processing, with the least use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and strict compliance with VietGAP regulations on clean agricultural production. With a modern plant and equipment system, a closed production process and a 400 ha farm, Tam Chau is considered a big Oolong tea grower and processor in Lam Dong province. With the trust of domestic and foreign customers, its premium Oolong tea has affirmed its position in both domestic and international markets through its nationwide distribution networks.

Globalising Vietnamese soul-culture
One of important factors to the success of Tam Chau Co., Ltd today is its ongoing effort for higher tea quality for customers. With the concept of “customers are king”, the company has diligently researched and launched many tea lines for various customer demands such as Oolong tea, green tea, jasmine tea and artichoke tea, with Oolong tea being the most famous. The tea is characteristically free from flavourings or additives when it is processed. The aroma of Tam Chau Oolong tea is natural. Tam Chau Oolong tea is black, glossy, spherical or hemispherical. Its colour and size are uniform. The brewed Oolong tea has yellowish-green water, tastes slightly acrid but then slightly sweet. To have the best quality Tam Chau Oolong tea, it takes more than 30 hours of processing from fresh picks from farms to wilting, aromatically spinning, killing yeast, shaping and finally packaging according to consumer tastes. “Drinking tea has long been a cultural identity of Vietnamese people. Tea has naturally entered the soul and life of Vietnamese and become an elegant pleasure for many generations. To have a delicious teapot, not only processing but also making tea is very important. Each kind of tea has a different way of making to sublimate the essence of every tea cup,” he said.

With superior quality, eye-catching designs, Tam Chau premium tea has been highly appreciated and trusted by domestic and foreign consumers. Tam Chau tea has a strong foothold in the Vietnamese tea industry because it is created by a long-term development strategy with daring steps like changing crop varieties, planting and processing premium Oolong tea - no other private company in Vietnam had ever done on a large scale like this. Currently, Tam Chau is one of a few companies in Lam Dong province in particular and in Vietnam in general to centrally grow and process Oolong tea. On the path of construction and development, Tam Chau has experienced numerous ups and downs to reach new heights as today. With a rapid, deep and broad development speed, Tam Chau is an active actor in socio-economic development, industrialisation and modernisation of Lam Dong province. Its positive contributions to Bao Loc City in particular and Lam Dong province at large have been treasured and appreciated by the Party and local authorities. Tam Chau is compared to a luminous pearl of Lam Dong province.
The class of Tam Chau tea not only comes from service and quality but also from elegant package. This is a secret to the success of Tam Chau brand. Steadfast to its mission, Tam Chau Co., Ltd has been trying its best to bring Tam Chau Oolong tea brand and B'lao tea brand to the vast world market and bring Vietnamese soul - Vietnamese culture across continents. Mr Thuan stressed that “In order to do this, apart from efforts of Tam Chau Co., Ltd and farmers, the most important factor is the support and assistance of scientists and Lam Dong authorities. The close linkage of company, farmers, scientists and authorities will serve as a strong fulcrum for the tea of Bao Loc and Lam Dong to confidently prove itself in new potential markets in the world.”

Hoang Lam