Dragon's Tail: a Vietnamese tea out of the ordinary

Rewarded in 2021 by a silver medal at the 8th edition of the « Epicures de l’épicerie fine », Dragon’s Tail is a tea from northern Vietnam which is distinguished by unique characteristics in the world of tea and its great aromatic richness.

This sublime white tea produced in northern Vietnam is truly one of a kind. In fact it is not made up of leaves, but of young buds from the branches of a rare species of tea tree: Camellia taliensis.

These precious buds are harvested in Hà Giang, the neighbouring province to the famous Chinese tea-growing region of Yunnan, at an altitude of between 8,202 and 9,186 ft.

The buds form their characteristic scales to protect themselves from the cold of this mountainous region, which give this exceptional tea its Vietnamese name Duôi Rông – or dragon scale.

Tea pluckers, belonging to the Dao ethnic group, must walk for several hours to reach the tea trees which grow in the wilderness, far from local communities.

The buds, with their purple glints, indicating their high level of anthocyanin (an antioxidant), are delicately picked by hand, one by one, from the 150 to 200-year-old tea trees and require scarcely any processing.

They are simply spread out on mats for two days to dry naturally in the sun and then quickly oven-baked for a final stage before being packaged.

What strikes you first when you brew this tea is how clear it is – almost crystalline. How can such an infusion produce such a velvety brew and such a particularly full-flavoured one? For a tea connoisseur it’s almost a culture shock.

On the palate, your tastebuds will succumb to the suave exoticism of lychee, the complexity of spicy notes (nutmeg, mace and pepper) and delicious hints of garrigue honey, rose jelly and biscuit.

Drinking such a complex and flavourful tea is a rare experience. You can also try it as a cold infusion, for a deliciously refreshing drink …

Tea and food pairings: this delicate white tea goes well with a sweet or savoury slightly spiced dish such as steamed vegetables, spring rolls or vanilla rice pudding.