Made in Singapore tea leaves come in second in the Black Tea Category at the Hong Kong International Tea Fair
On 11 August 2016, a set of tea names christened with the name Tropical Romance emerged 1st runner-up at the Hong Kong International Tea Fair.
This was another wonderful National Day gift for Singapore, especially so coming hot on the heels of Joseph Schooling's gold medal win at the Rio Olympics. Just like Schooling, the tea leaves blended exclusively by homegrown Singaporean company Old Village Puer Pte Ltd also won for the first time in an intense international competition. A total of 10 countries were represented at the competition, including India, Japan, Sri Lanka, America, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, which counted participants from seven of its most renowned tea producing provinces.
As the founder of Old Village Puer, Christopher Chau Tung Lu, revealed, “ We pride ourselves as 1st runner-up as we outshine many participants from China. We felt that we are the best and already the Champion represent Singapore in this international tea competition.
On the opening day of the exhibition, people were asking me: what kind of tea leaves could Singapore possibly produce? However, I was actually inspired by Mr Pak Shui Ching, (白水清) famously known as the Godfather of Pu'er Tea, who believes that all superior tea leaves need to be produced following a comprehensive recipe. A good tea can only be born of perfect chemistry achieved among the finest tea leaves.”
“Think about it. Singapore has very limited water resources and yet, we are able to export processed water! Similarly, there are no tea bushes growing here in Singapore, but we were able to produce a blend of tea that took an international competition by storm. The factors behind such success is a high degree of professional knowledge, and the right blending technique. This value-add is what boosted our competitive advantage and as citizens of Singapore, it is incumbent upon us to promote our strength as a people in this particular area.”
Mr Chau went on to say, “The name Tropical Romance not only alludes to the tea's origination, but also highlights the perfect balance we have achieved between its smoothness and texture, and the strength of the brew. This particular version of aged Liu Pao Tea also exudes a fragrance reminiscent of the areca nut, while also instigating a sense of comforting warmth.”
There are two ways to process Liu Pao Tea: either raw, or fermented, each of which results in the tea taking on different qualities. In and of itself, Liu Pao Tea would always be lacking in certain qualities when it comes to taste. Tropical Romance is blended from authentic Liu Pao Tea picked in Kwangsi Province in the year 2005, and kept away for 11 years thereafter. Old Village Puer brought to bear some 10 years of professional knowledge and experience in appreciating and authenticating tea, along with an unique blend recipe and two whole months of hard work from its tea masters and research & development team to finally arrive at the perfect formula. An additional factor was the difference in climatic conditions and the geographical superiority of Singapore as compared to the Kwangsi birthplace of Liu Pao Tea and other similar areas in southern China.
For anyone who drinks tea regularly, the aftertaste it leaves is of the utmost importance. With just one or two cups of Tropical Romance, you would feel a certain warmth and experience a lingering, unforgettable fragrance that would make you want to come back for more the very next day. With a fragrance akin to the areca nut, a pleasing russet tone and silky smooth texture, it is a blend suitable for both young and old. This is a tea that scores highly for its flavour, aftertaste, and the pleasant bodily reactions it produces. Its harmonious blending calls to mind the peaceful co-existence of Singapore's four major races, the exact reason the nation stands out among others in this world.
“This accolade also highlights the importance of value-add as a factor in success. We are very grateful to IE Singapore for supporting our participation in such international trade shows, which would provide a platform for local enterprises to expand overseas. The government has always been encouraging and reminding SMEs to work hard towards providing more value-added services and higher productivity. We have benefitted in no small way from schemes like SMART and MRA which are sponsored by IE Singapore. In fact, they had even gone so far as to help finance our participation at this exhibition,” said Mr Chau.
He, in particular, wished to express his gratitude to Mr Pak Shui Ching (白水清) for having graced the Old Village Puer booth in the course of the International Tea Fair 2016.
Mr Chau’s fervent hope is that Tropical Romance will one day, just like the Singapore Sling, be recognised and appreciated in every corner of this world!
Want to get a taste of the award winning Tropical Romance for yourself? Please visit the Old Village Puer store located at:
167 Geylang Road（Before Lor 3）#01-02 Singapore 389242
Tel：6635-4725 Website：www.pure.com.sg E-mail：enjoy@pure.com.sg
Tropical Romance is also available at OG Department Store: Albert Complex