When Gen Z makes tea

In the minds of the majority, Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2009) is often associated with modern urban life, with technology and trendy professions. However, many young Gen Z people choose to stay in their hometowns, continuing their traditional professions with a new mindset. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen (born in 2002, in Soi Vang hamlet, Tan Cuong commune) is one of them.

With the dynamism of youth, Nguyen Thi Thu   Huyen has developed her family's tea brand day by day by combining her father's knowledge of the profession with a modern promotional style.

One early autumn morning, dew still lingered on each leaf, the first rays of the morning sun cast a sparkling golden hue over the traditional Tan Cuong tea region. In the middle of the tea garden in full bloom, Huyen bent down slightly, meticulously picking each young tea bud, her movements as practiced as if she had devoted her whole life to this job. Talking about the tea tree, Huyen enthusiastically said: The scent of early tea is the most familiar scent of my childhood.

Born into a family with a tradition of making tea, Huyen soon understood the value of each tea bud from her hometown. The years of studying at the University of Agriculture and Forestry ( Thai Nguyen University) helped Huyen gain more knowledge about geology and soil factors that directly affect the quality of crops.

Huyen understands that to have delicious tea buds, in addition to experience in care and processing, it also requires understanding of each piece of soil, water source, and climate - seemingly simple factors that determine the characteristic flavor of Tan Cuong tea.

Ever since she was in college, Huyen has helped her parents take photos and post products for sale on social media. The first posts on Facebook, Zalo or TikTok were all simple pictures: tanned arms holding green tea buds, the sound of tea roasting echoing in the small kitchen... At that time, Huyen simply thought of introducing the product to her friends, but then gradually realized the power of telling the story of the tea industry in a close and authentic way.

In 2024, after graduating from university, Huyen officially took over her family's Hung Anh Safe Tea Production Facility. On the family's 2,000m² area of ​​tea grown according to VietGAP standards, Huyen also cooperated with many households in the area to purchase qualified raw materials.

Thanks to that, the facility maintains a stable output, consuming an average of about 100 kg of dried tea buds per day. During Tet, this number skyrockets, reaching 7-8 tons per month. Huyen has developed more diversified product lines such as: paper boxes, bamboo boxes, lacquer boxes, tea towers... The selling price is also diverse, from 500-600 thousand VND/kg to high-end teas worth 3-5 million VND/kg, serving many different consumer groups.

As a Gen Z, Huyen brings a different mindset to the tea industry. From proactively investing in sophisticated, modern packaging design to trying to preserve traditional features through colors and images. On TikTok, Facebook or Zalo, Huyen posts videos introducing the production process, sharing how to make tea, and livestreaming to interact with customers.

Huyen shared: I believe that selling tea is not just about selling a product, but about telling the story of the land, the people and the cultural values ​​contained in each tea bud.

Huyen’s daily work starts early in the morning. Huyen and the workers go to the hills to pick tea, sort the buds, and bring them back to the facility for drying. In her free time, she takes advantage of taking photos, editing clips, and writing product introductions. In the evening, after packing orders, Huyen often spends time researching new marketing trends, learning how to run online advertising, or researching potential markets.

"I want my hometown tea to not only be present in provinces and cities across the country but also reach out to foreign countries, so that friends from all over the world know about Tan Cuong tea as part of a rich cultural identity" - Huyen shared.

Tea harvesting activities at Hung Anh Safe Tea Production Facility, Soi Vang Hamlet, Tan Cuong Commune.

Of course, the path to developing the traditional tea industry is not easy. Many nights, Huyen stays up all night to reply to customer messages, redesign packaging designs or consider how to price products appropriately. It is this combination of tradition and modernity that creates the uniqueness of Hung Anh tea, a brand that both preserves the soul of the homeland and has a youthful, creative spirit. The social networking sites named "Hung Anh tea" have more and more followers, and orders are increasing steadily.

Although she has achieved certain results, Huyen still has many plans for the future. Huyen wants to take more courses on business administration, international quality standards, and seek opportunities to export tea products. At the same time, Huyen aims to continue building creative promotional campaigns, bringing tea products closer to domestic and foreign consumers.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Viet, Chairman of Tan Cuong Commune People's Committee, commented: The young generation like Huyen is renewing the traditional tea profession by combining advanced production techniques with modern market approaches. This is a positive signal, contributing to preserving the value of the craft village while opening up a sustainable development direction for Tan Cuong tea.

In Tan Cuong tea land, the story of a young girl who is attached to a traditional profession but has an innovative mindset is inspiring many of her peers. When Gen Z makes tea, they not only continue the profession of their ancestors but also breathe new life into it, so that the traditional flavor of their homeland's tea can reach far and wide, affirming that agriculture can also be a path to success for young people who dare to think and dare to do.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202508/khi-gen-z-lam-che-aaa0437/