The Ho Tieu: Conserving And Elevating Phu Quoc Peppercorns

With her deep affection for nature and her hometown, Ms. Lora Le established The Ho Tieu to conserve and spread the delightful flavor of Phu Quoc peppercorn. What makes the peppercorn from this beautiful pearl island special? Join us for this edition of Talk with Chus, where Lora Le shares her thoughts.

1. An introduction about The Ho Tieu

I'm Lora, and I'm the founder of The Ho Tieu. I come from Phu Quoc. Most people recognize Phu Quoc as a beautiful island with sunshine all the time and really nice weather.

Phu Quoc is famous for its peppercorn trees, cashew trees, and fish sauce. But right now, it seems like we've lost all the cashew trees, there's only a bit of fish sauce left, and even the peppercorn trees are disappearing. We are left with only twenty percent of nature to preserve because we've already lost eighty percent. That's why I want to do something special for my hometown.

2. Why does The Ho Tieu focus on sustainable farming?

In my opinion, the key factor originates from my strong bond with nature. From my early years until I reached 10, I hardly needed to worry about daily meals and vegetables; we only had to worry about rice supply. The environment around me was abundant with homegrown vegetables and wild fish.

After spending about twenty years in Saigon and coming back to Phu Quoc, I noticed a swift and significant change. Nowadays, I'm even reluctant to jump into rivers to swim because it has become polluted, and the water source has completely changed. This is truly disheartening, and I'm pondering over human actions towards nature like this. Such drastic changes in such a brief time are truly distressing. I'm not attempting something grand; it's simply a small gesture driven by my love for nature.

3. How does The Ho Tieu work?

Until now, people were unaware of what The Ho Tieu did and assumed it was just a peppercorn farm. However, my primary aim was to safeguard peppercorn trees and support local farmers. This required direct interaction and learning from their valuable experiences. I partnered with small-scale farming households, purchased their peppercorn yields, and then processed the produce using my own methods.

I even ventured to Kampot, Cambodia, to learn about peppercorn and explored their three largest peppercorn farms. I noticed their approach to cultivating peppercorn is highly logical, working in harmony with nature from the soil to the water sources. I found this approach inspiring and decided to adopt it. When I returned, I discovered that peppercorns in Vietnam, particularly in Phu Quoc, had the same characteristics. The soil, climate, land, and natural elements were pretty similar. This provided me with a chance to learn and then pass on some of my newfound knowledge to local farmers, urging them to prioritize quality over quantity.

4. The most special thing about The Ho Tieu?

I don't emphasize much on the external packaging because I think that with money, anyone can fashion packaging. All that glitters is not gold and it's the true flavor of peppercorn on the inside that counts, isn’t it?

In my opinion, it's the quality that keeps customers engaged. Once individuals taste The Ho Tieu's pepper, they'll notice the distinction – the peppercorn isn't overly spicy or harsh on the tongue with the first bite. Even those without much knowledge about peppercorn or culinary will clearly perceive the unique warmth and richness of The Ho Tieu's pepper

5. What's the vision for The Ho Tieu in the future?

Why the name "The Ho Tieu”? The main reason is that I want people to know that The Ho Tieu is striving to grow and preserve Phu Quoc peppercorns. 

In Vietnam, we're lucky to have many other valuable agricultural products that taste amazing. Besides pepper, I also offer black forest peppers, wild forest peppers, wild forest pepper (Indian prickly ash), and more. In the culinary world, chefs will naturally be curious about my different pepper varieties and other spices too. In the future, The Ho Tieu will expand to include more spice options, not just Phu Quoc peppercorns. My goal is to preserve and take peppercorns and other Vietnamese spices even further worldwide.

6. Why did The Ho Tieu collaborate with CHUS?

I see a similarity at CHUS in that you focus on sustainability and the preservation of craftsmanship. You handle everything meticulously, from visuals to content, and I notice the investment you put into every aspect. The Ho Tieu is also a new brand, so when I collaborate with a new partner, I want them to share the same values to pursue together, not some abstract value.

I admire Mr. Injoon - the founder of CHUS. I rarely, if ever, come across a founder who genuinely operates from the heart. Many do things solely for monetary gain, so they might approach artisans or small brands without caring much about the core value. But with Mr. Injoon, I see a difference.

Bên cạnh hồ tiêu cay nồng được cẩn thận tuyển lựa từ vườn ở Phú Quốc, The Hồ Tiêu còn mang đến các loại gia vị hảo hạng khác như tiêu rừng đen, hoa tiêu (xuyên tiêu), mắc khén, đại hồi, v.v. Ẩm thực không hề giới hạn, vậy nên nếu muốn làm mới những bữa ăn của mình, hoặc đơn giản là đang tìm kiếm các gia vị chất lượng, được trồng và thu hoạch theo hướng tự nhiên, an toàn, The Hồ Tiêu đảm bảo sẽ là điểm đến mà bạn không thể bỏ qua. Những sản phẩm của The Hồ Tiêu đều có trên CHUS, bạn hãy ghé qua thử nhé!