Famous wine place

From the center of Y Ty commune, if you want to get to Sim San, there is only a single way through the villages of Lao Chai 1, Lao Chai 2, Sin Chai, then to the Red Dao village of Sim San, and further into the Mong village in Hong Ngai. The road to Sim San is only about 10 km, mostly smooth concrete, but there are also difficult sections because it is the gravel road and dirt road. The land of Sim San welcomed us with heavy rain, dispelling the sweltering heat of hot days. 

The house of the head of Sim San 1 village, Mr. Tan Phu Tin is located lower than the road surface, hidden under the green trees. As soon as I entered the gate of the house, I recognized the familiar scent of the famous "beauty wine" for a long time. Next to the fiery red coal stove, hanging the dried smoked pork chops above, revealing the clear fat, below from the wine, dripping clear drops, giving off a strong aroma. Tan Phu Tin said that making rice wine is the traditional profession of the Red Dao people here. The land of Sim San is favored by nature for fertile soil and abundant water, so hundreds of years ago, the ancestors of the Red Dao people chose to settle down, cut mountains to make terraces, and dig ditches for water to plant rice, turning this place into the largest or second largest granary in Y Ty commune. 

Rice wine of the Red Dao has become the specialty brand in the highlands of Bat Xat. (photo taken before April 27th, 2021)

Also because of having so much rice, making rice wine here has developed very early. The special thing is that the Red Dao people of Sim San know how to brew rice wine by the special type of yeast with many herbs, creating the delicious taste that few places can compare. In the community of ethnic groups, the Red Dao people are famous for being "masters" of herbal medicines, so it is not difficult for them to create wine yeast. That is also the secret of the Red Dao people and it is only passed on to their descendants.

The fire is still hot burning and the aroma of rice wine is so fragrant! Mr. Tan Phu Tin took the lid of the can to catch the hot drops of wine and gave it to me. Just put it on the nose, the gentle fragrance brings the feeling of ecstasy, indescribable. I sipped a little, the new wine was still strong, hot wherever it went. Sim San 1 village has 64 households, every household knows how to make rice wine; in which, there are about 30 households specializing in making wine to sell all year round. Mr. Tin's family makes 500-600 liters of wine every year. As for the families: Tan Van Heng, Tan Sai Din, Phan Van Seo, Tan Lo May... also make hundreds of liters of wine every year. Many households make from all their family's rice but it is still not enough and they buy more rice from their relatives to make, which is not enough to meet the demand of the market. Now, Sim San rice wine has become the famous brand of Lao Cai, comparable to San Lung rice wine of the Red Dao people in Ban Xeo commune that everyone knows.

Sweet aroma and taste of wind mountain tea

Visiting Sim San 1 and Sim San 2 villages this time, we had the opportunity to explore this land more closely. Looking down from above, Sim San 1 village is surrounded by winding terraced fields like silk, while Sim San 2 village is located deep inside, the terrain is higher, divided into 2 hamlets, the front overlooking to the valley of terraced fields, behind leaning against the dark green mountains. The special thing is that every Red Dao village, I am also invited by the people to enjoy special flavored tea. Just use the spring water from the stream to boil and pour it into the small pot full of tea buds, just a few minutes later, pour out a cup of honey-colored water with the gentle aroma. This tea is not acrid but has an unforgettable sweet taste.

Red Dao people collect ancient Shan Tuyet tea

To answer my concerns, Ms. Tan Ta May said: "I don't know since when the old ancestors planted it in the forest, but now there are many old tea trees in the village, up to 4-5 m high. People often cut the top of the tea to lower the height, the tea tree spreads out wide to easily harvest buds. The selling price is 300 - 350 thousand VND/kg of fresh tea bud. This season is the best tea, many people come here to buy but not enough to sell."

After saying that, Mrs. May took me to see some tea trees right behind the house. Next to the big rocks are some old tea trees, some of which are about 20 cm in diameter. I also learned about tea before, so I immediately realized that this is the famous Shan Tuyet tea. Just looking at the tea buds that are bigger than regular tea, with the bright green color, each with the layer of snow-white fluff is enough to see how delicious the tea here is. But what creates the special flavor for Shan Tuyet tea in Sim San is that the Red Dao people here don't dry it, nor rub it by hand or machine, but after picking the tea bud, they leave it to dry in the wind to make the tea buds dry naturally.

“If dried in the sun, the tea buds will dry quickly but wilted, while drying on the stove will have the smokey smell and lose flavor, so only drying in the ventilated place, the tea buds will still retain their snow-white color and inherent flavor. It takes a week to dry the tea, not to mention the harvesting, therefore one must have million dong to buy each kilogram of dried tea here. The households of Tan Lao Ta, Tan Van Heng, Tan Lao Su ... sell fresh tea, dried tea, and earn 15-20 million dong/year", Ms. May said.

New rural imprint

Nearly 10 years ago, we once came to Sim San land. That day, when I passed here, looking at the slippery dirt road leading to the Red Dao village located deep in the valley, I decided to go straight to Hong Ngai village, not stop by at Sim San. However, today, not only has Sim San 1 village near the main road changed, but Sim San 2 village, hidden in the mountains, has gradually "changed". 

What makes people come here also immediately recognize that is the new rural roads. On the road from Sim San 1 to Sim San 2, we had to stop the car to wait for the excavator to level the ground, widen the road surface, and prepare to pour concrete. While the sound of excavators and cars exploded, the line of people stopped and waited for was longer and longer. It was late in the afternoon, everyone was in a hurry to return to their families, but no one seemed to be bothered, but they were all very happy to wait for the way. 

“People have been waiting for the new road for many years, now the beautiful road is about to come, so we are very excited. I hope the new road will be completed soon so that it will be easy for people to travel, and the village will be able to welcome more groups of visitors to visit," Mr. Tan Sai Vang of Sim San 1 village said. Perhaps, like Mr. Vang, every Sim San resident understands that this is the new route that brings prosperity to the village, so those waiting moments are waiting for the joy to come.

The most impressive thing for us is that when entering Sim San 2 village, we can walk on concrete roads like silk ribbons. Those who have ever had to travel through slippery slopes like "dumping fat", sometimes had to abandon the car, cry in the middle of the road, will understand how happy it is to be on the new road. It is the new rural construction program that has brought the Red Dao village located in the middle of this forest with concrete roads and opened up many opportunities in the future. 

Then, how much rice, corn, Sim San rice wine, Shan Tuyet tea, dried pork, wild mushrooms and other products will follow that new route to "fly" to everywhere. Then the attractive taste of the products and the beauty of this land will "attract" groups of tourists to come here to visit and experience. We understand that besides the visible changes, Sim San today still has many difficulties. But the newly built spacious houses that are sprouting up every day are the proof to the new vitality that is rising to help this land prosper. 

After the warm meal in Sim San, we said goodbye to the people here, but still lingered on the scent of rice wine brewed with fragrant forest leaves, the sweet taste of ancient wind tea and the peaceful features of the red Dao villages which is in the middle of the great blue mountain. A day in Sim San seems too short, there are so many undiscovered attractions that are calling us. Sim San, we will see it soon!