(HBO) – Mai Ha wine made with yeast from plants is a precious gift of Mai Chau forest in the northern province of Hoa Binh.


Ms. Vi Thi Ton from Chieng Ha hamlet is preparing different types of leaves to make yeast for wine.

Mai Ha wine became available on the market in the 1990s. The price of this wine is relatively high thanks to its special flavour which comes from the local yeast made from leaves. As the demand is increasing, Hung, a local, seized this opportunity to develop this trade to increase incomes for his family.

Having done this trade for over 20 years, Vi Thi Ton, Hung’s wife, shared that the most difficult step is to make the yeast because more than 20 types of leaves, tubers and fruits are needed. The leaves, tubers and fruits are picked in the forest, then washed, dried, crushed, and sifted to get fine flour, which is then mixed with steamed flour from dried cassava, corn and soybean, and left to ferment for about 20-25 days before distilling wine. For the making of "ruou can” (fermented wine without distilling), the fermentation process will be longer, at around two months.

Over the past time, Hung’s wine production facility has welcomed hundreds of visitors who came to experience the wine-making process and buy products right at the distillation place. Every week, three to five tourist groups from Buoc hamlet (Xam Khoe commune), Lac hamlet (Chieng Chau commune), and Long hamlet (Van Mai commune) come to enjoy Mai Ha rice wine. Recently, Hung accepted the proposal of cooperation from Herbal King Mai farm in Thung Khe commune, Mai Chau district, to supply wine for the making of cordyceps wine to sell to tourists.

Forty-five households in Chieng Ha are engaged in making wine. The hamlet is expected to be recognised as a traditional wine-making village./.


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