The unique and wonderful Vietnamese ingredients of Ruou Son Tinh
What makes Vietnam’s produce so unique? The climate, altitude, or the people who grow it? We’ve searched far and wide to seek out the finest ingredients for Son Tinh rice liquor in a bid to harness traditional Vietnamese tastes, and combining them with something new.
Sour, bitter, sweet, Vietnamese fruits and herbs are complex. They are on the cusp of hitting the world’s stage. Here’s a list of where we source our ingredients, for those who care as much as we do.
Rose apple (Táo Mèo)
Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Tuyen Quang
When we decided to use this uniquely Vietnamese fruit, we ran into a problem. There wasn’t an English name for it, yet. We called it rose apple, due to its appearance, and got busy distilling.
It’s the signature fruit of the North West mountainous regions of Vietnam, growing around 1,500 metres above sea level. Its Vietnamese name derived from the Meo people, a minority culture, who harvest it in cool, humid temperatures.
Harvest season: half Jul, early Aug or Sep – Oct
Red Plum
Lao Cai, Dien Bien and Son La
When plum season hits the North-Westernly provinces of Vietnam, the forests become covered in white blossom, a truly beautiful sight to enjoy an abundance of fresh fruit. These plums are sour in flavour, a little bit sweet and are locally known as the blushing cheeks of the minority girls.
Apricot (Mơ vàng)
Bac Kan
Almost every home in Bac Kan has an apricot garden, with the fruits lying on the sloped orchards, ready to be eaten. The area is ideal for growing these mildly scented fruits, with its cool, year-round climate.
Passionfruit (Chanh leo)
Central Highlands
Unlike fruits found in the northern mountains that prefer cooler climates, passionfruit thrives in the temperatures of the Central Highlands. We’re able to gather the freshest passionfruit available, with its sweet and sour flavours.
Sticky Rice (Nếp Phú Lộc)
Red River Delta
We source all of our rice straight from the original heart of Vietnam’s rice production. As the first rice cultivation area in Vietnam, the Red River Delta has refined the rice growing process over thousands of years.
Minh Mạng
Hue
We named our Minh Mang herbs and spices liquor after the former Emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty due to his legendary 142 children. Our secret mix of herbs that go into this energising elixir will give you the power to go through the night.
Moc Sa Pa
Sapa
This breed of ruou has the mountain regions of Sapa running through it. It’s refined and researched by herbalists in Sapa, and made from 30 unique herbs sourced from deep in the Hoang Lien Son rainforests, giving it a balanced character, notes of rice straw, dried plum and a hint of smoked cinnamon in the aftertaste.
Mỹ Tửu
Northern Mountains
This mix of fragrant herbs are sourced from deep in the forests of Vietnam’s north-western mountains. These uniquely Vietnamese herbs create a liqueur that is rich in colour, with flavours of dried leaves, ripe fruits, moist soil and sweet, spicy honey, with a spicy scent.