The Northern Highlands of Vietnam’s Hà Giang Province is a renowned tea cultivation region, famous for its Shan tea grown at high elevations of 1,500–1,700 meters in the Tây Côn Lĩnh mountain range. This area is considered the cradle of Northern Vietnam’s ancient tea heritage, where biodiverse tea forests stand as living museums—enduring remnants of centuries-old cultivation traditions.

This year, we selected both green and red teas from this region, hand-crafted by generational tea artisans. The green tea is harvested from forest-grown, indigenous Shan Tuyết tea trees unique to Vietnam. These trees, over 200 years old, originate from ancient heirloom seeds and thrive in the wild mountain landscape.

The red and green teas of this high-altitude region offer a deep yet soft taste, paired with an enlivening energy that makes them ideal for flower scenting. Vietnam’s tea tradition celebrates the harmonious marriage of flowers and tea leaves, blending culinary artistry with natural, edible perfumery. Some of the world’s most distinctive and aromatic flower-scented teas are crafted here, using blossoms such as pomelo, lotus, jasmine, aglaia, and chloranthus, alongside orchids, magnolias, and other wildflowers.

The process begins with careful tea selection and preparation ahead of the fresh flower harvest season. It is beneficial to age the base green or red tea for several months before scenting, as this softens the tea, mellows sharper aromas, and enhances the leaves’ ability to absorb floral fragrance.

For this tea, we selected a spring green tea to pair with pomelo flowers. Because pomelo blooms in January and February, the base tea was aged for several months prior to scenting. This ensures a smooth, balanced integration of the flower’s lasting aroma with the naturally assertive and energetic character of Vietnam’s Shan tea.