Story coffee in Vietnam

Vietnamese coffee is part of socialization and as a result, you can find Vietnamese coffee in various forms, formats, and styles. Something to fit most tastes and satisfy most desires!

Where does coffee come from?

There is no precise answer for this question. There are a number of reports and legends surrounding the history of coffee tree. The native origin of coffee is thought to have been Ethiopia in the 15th century, with several mythical accounts but no solid evidence. Through the flow of history, coffee is spread all over the world and it arrived in Vietnam in 1875.

How has coffee existed in Vietnam throughout the years?

The first time coffee was brought to Vietnam is in 1875, the Arabica cultivar was brought from Bourton Island to the North and then spread to some Central provinces such as Quang Tri and Bo Trach. After being harvested and processed by the brand "Arabica du Tonkin", coffee was transported to France. After occupying our country, the French established coffee plantations such as Chine, Xuan Mai, and Shanxi. In the former years, the productivity had decreased from 400-500 kg/ha to 100 - 150 kg/ha. In order to improve the situation, the French introduced into our country two new kinds of coffee, C. Robusta and C. Mitcharichia, in 1908.

The acreage reached its peak - 13,000 hectares - in 1946 – 1966. In 1925, for the first time, it was planted in the Central Highlands. Thanks to international capital support, coffee trees were gradually paid attention. By 1980, the area was 23,000 hectares, exporting amount was over 6000 tons. Up to now, the country's coffee production accounts for 8% of the agricultural output, accounts for 25% of the export value.

Vietnam has become the largest Robusta coffee exporter of in the world, with the two largest provinces DakLak and Gia Lai. Coffee planting provides stable employment, high income for millions of people, stabilizing the socio-economic situation in remote areas.

Popular coffee species

Coffee includes many different perennial species. However, not all species contain caffeine in the grain, some species are different from the common coffee plants. Only two coffee species have economic significance. The first type is Coffea arabica, representing about 61% of the world's coffee. The second type is Coffea canephora or Coffea robusta, which accounts for nearly 39% of coffee products. There are also Coffea Liberica and Chari but they are not really substantial.

Coffee is made up of 70 different type, but only about 10 species of them create economic value. There are now three main types: Arabica varieties, Robusta, Like Chari. These three kinds are seasoned alternately,  facilitating the cultivation and harvesting.

* Arabica coffee: The scientific name is Coffee arabica, commonly referred to coffee, representing about 61% of the world's coffee. Originating from the tropical highlands of East Africa. Arabica is 3 - 7 m high, depending on soil conditions, climate, single or multiple stems. It has small oval leaves or tongs, small branches with little branching, small canopy. Ripe fruit has the bright red color, diameter 10 - 15 mm, usually have two nodules, rarely have three roots, fruit stalks when ripe is very soft and easy to fall or rack when it rains. The culture time is 6-7 months. Due to the cold weather in northern, Arabica is ripe in December - 2-3 months later than in the Central Highlands.

* Robusta coffee: The scientific name is Coffea canephora or Coffea robusta, commonly known as coffee, accounts for nearly 39% of coffee products. Originating from the Congo River and the lowland equatorial and tropical West Africa. Robusta 5 - 7 m high, single or multiple stems, large branch branched branches, wide canopy, medium leaf surface rugged. In particular, robusta blossoms do not appear in the following season at the old site. Fruits are dark red, 10-13 mm in diameter, oval or rounded, with double, double, the shells are hard and tough.

* Chari coffee: The scientific name is Coffea Chari, in Vietnam is often called “jackfruit coffee”. Originated in Ubangui Chari of the Tonle Sap Lake near the Sahara, introduced into Vietnam in 1905, They are large trees with 6 to 15 m high, large leaves or ovoid, leaf veins emerging on the lower surface, large canopy wide. It is oval in shape with large and convex knob. Depending on the climatic conditions, fruits will ripen earlier or at the same time as the flowering. Jackfruit coffee blooms at the old position in the next crop. Harvesting (May - July) on a burning branch can have the same green, ripe fruits, buds, flowers. This is a disadvantage for harvesting and reducing productivity.

Products, especially beverage, made from coffee and their popularity

The products from coffee are diverse, the original product is fresh coffee. Fresh fruit and coffee through the process of preliminary processing will give you green coffee from coffee beans. Or after being industrially processed, instant coffee, coffee powder, coffee milk, etc come out as finished products. These products are brought to customers via the media. Therefore, coffee becomes a popular street cuisine for the youth, especially for those living in Saigon – the so-called “Marketing Centre of Vietnam”. Going through streets in Saigon, you may see groups of people such as students, workers or businessman taking a short break at a coffee shop, chatting with co-workers or doing their own work. Ice coffee and milk coffee are the two beverages that are included in “the must-try list” whenever you want to go for a street food tour adventure in Saigon. Coffee – one of the tastes in Saigon - is well-known not only with Vietnamese but with foreigners as well. Are you a coffee-lovers? Do you want to drink coffee like a Saigonese? Just let yourselves try it and make the so-called “Coffe in Vietnam” as well as “Coffe in Saigon” spread all over the world.