On a hot and humid summer day in Toronto, I had the privilege of meeting Nguyễn Ngọc Tuấn, a traditional tea artisan who humbly describes himself as a wanderer—one who has devoted more than three decades to the art of Vietnamese tea.
We spoke in a quaint little rose garden, surrounded by fragrant blooms and quiet breeze. Our conversation drifted from his unique Nguyệt Cầm tea table to the clay teapots that seem to preserve the spirit of Vietnam’s misty mountains and ancient forests. But more than that, I was invited into the reflections of a man who has spent a lifetime finding ways to protect and share Vietnamese tea culture—a culture deeply rooted in stillness, connection, and humanity.
"Why is Vietnamese tea so exquisite, and yet the world has yet to recognize its true value?" he asked—a question that has followed him from Hanoi to Tà Xùa, Lũng Phìn, down south, and across the ocean to North America.
Vietnamese tea is not just a beverage.
It is memory. It is culture.
It is mindfulness in every moment of life.
This afternoon, I didn’t just learn about tea. I learned how to preserve passion—for one’s roots, one’s heritage—in a world that is constantly changing.
🇻🇳 If you're in Canada and cherish Vietnamese culture, we invite you to take a moment to listen to this very real, very Vietnamese tea story—and follow CVCEC’s upcoming events to discover more stories like this.
