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Types of coffee in Vietnam – Beauty reaching out to the world

Vietnam is the world’s second largest coffee producer after Brazil, supplying a wide variety of coffees to markets around the world. Let’s discover the most outstanding types coffee in Vietnam.

Types of coffee in Vietnam

Vietnam contributes up to 20% of the world’s coffee production

 

Robusta – The type of coffee that accounts for 96% of coffee production in Vietnam

 

About 96% of coffee production in Vietnam is Robusta. This makes Vietnam the leading producer and exporter of Robusta coffee in the world, contributing up to 40% of Robusta coffee production worldwide.

This high rate of Robusta is not simply coincidental. Coffee was first introduced to Vietnam by the French colonists around the 1850s. Initially, Arabica coffee was introduced, however, this is a difficult variety to grow that requires very specific environmental conditions. body and intensive care. Around the early 1900s, the Robusta coffee variety was introduced in Vietnam. This coffee variety is successfully grown thanks to being suitable for the cultivation conditions of our country.

Compared to Arabica, Robusta does not require high altitude, is less labor intensive and is also less susceptible to diseases. Robusta can thrive on lowlands at much lower elevations (about 200-700m). This variety can tolerate higher temperatures up to 29°C. Having said that, Robusta is the most suitable selected variety for the natural conditions of Vietnam. This makes it widely grown and yields excellent yields.

Despite achieving good output, the quality of Robusta is not really outstanding. In recent years, the Fine Robusta movement has been strongly developed. People started looking for ways to improve the quality of the coffee bean flavor through processing. Applying natural fermentation processes, helps coffee beans gather more flavors, thereby further improving the quality of coffee beans. Up to now, there have also been appreciated varieties in the specialty coffee market.

Interestingly, Robusta beans also contain almost twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans. Robusta coffee has a stronger flavor and denser body. Characteristic in the perception of Robusta is the bitter taste of dark chocolate and the fatty flesh of pecans.

Robusta is associated with the culture of the Vietnamese people not only because of their taste but also because of the economic transformation that this coffee plant has brought about after the war. With its easy-to-grow characteristics, Voi coffee quickly became the main source of income, becoming the second largest export agricultural product after rice. This has changed the lives of many Vietnamese, helping them access the international coffee trade market.

The main coffee growing provinces in Vietnam include Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum.

 

Robusta Se

 

This is a purebred Robusta line with higher quality than high yielding varieties. The beans are small but firm and highly textured.

Types of coffee in Vietnam

Robusta Se với hạt nhỏ hơn

 

Robusta High Product

 

This high yielding variety gives a very large yield as well as good resistance to pests and diseases. However, it cannot compare with Robusta Se in terms of quality. It is commonly used to produce instant coffee or extract chlorogenic acid. Or usually will take to make instant coffee.

 

Arabica coffee in Vietnam

 

Arabica grows best at high altitudes, where cooler air temperatures and fertile volcanic soils produce beans that grow more slowly but have a richer flavor. Due to these special growing requirements, only about 1% of coffee beans grown in Vietnam are Arabica. That makes it an artistic and unique coffee experience. In recent years, the government has had more investment and interest among alternative coffee growers in Vietnam to produce more Arabica beans. This is driven by the preference of foreign buyers, especially Western countries that consume mainly Arabica. Therefore, we also expect the production of Arabica beans in Vietnam will continue to increase rapidly in the next few years.

Arabica coffee line comes with poetic notes of flowers, fruits, chocolate, and more. with characteristic acidity and sweetness. In Vietnam, Arabica is usually grown at an altitude of about 1,200m. Vietnamese Arabica beans have the characteristics of the growing area. Common notes will be brown sugar, caramel, cocoa, sometimes a few tropical fruit flavors.

In Vietnam, Arabica beans are often mixed with Robusta beans to create a balance between the rich, rich flavor of Robusta and the lightness and aroma of Arabica.

Two of the most important varieties in modern Arabica coffee production are Typica  and  Bourbon. However, due to their low yield and susceptibility to insects, they are difficult to grow and are eventually eliminated from coffee farms. They were later replaced by  Catimor, a combination of  Caturra  and  Timor  created in Portugal in 1959. Timor is a hybrid between Robusta and Arabica. This variety is resistant to pests and diseases, easy to grow, and gives high yield.

Currently in Vietnam,  Catimor  is commonly grown in Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Quang Tri, Nghe An and Son La provinces. Arabica Bourbon, commonly known as  Moka, is another coffee variety grown in Cau Dat, Xuan Truong, Da Lat.

Types of coffee in Vietnam

Arabica coffee in Vietnam

 

Typica – The old coffee in Vietnam

 

Typica is one of the oldest coffee varieties, having been around for millennia and producing several hybrid species. In Vietnam, Typica is mainly grown in Cau Dat (Da Lat), with an annual output of about 3 tons of coffee beans.

Typica was introduced into Vietnam before 1988. Until 2001, coffee prices were extremely low. Since then, people began to grow high yielding varieties of Catimor instead of Typica. In Vietnam today, it is difficult to find genuine Typica coffee due to its scarcity.

 

Bourbon (Moka) coffee in Vietnam

 

Arabica Bourbon, commonly known as Moka, is a popular coffee variety not only in Vietnam but also around the world. These coffee varieties originate from a French island and were introduced to Vietnam in 1875. Due to their mild taste and attractive aroma, Moka is today marketed as a type of coffee bean. Top class for the elite. These varieties were also imported to France to serve the upper class.

Today, Moka is still grown in Xuan Tho and Xuan Truong, Cau Dat district, Da Lat province. Many people have tried to grow this tomato variety in places other than Da Lat, but the farmers could not produce the desired high quality fruit. Moka is known as the Queen of Coffee because of its rich and unique flavor.

 

Catimor

 

Catimor was brought to Vietnam in the 1980s. Since then, this variety has been widely grown in Vietnam due to its high yield and rust resistance. Catimor currently accounts for the majority of Arabica coffee production in Vietnam, widely grown in most of the major coffee material regions across the country, namely Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Quang Tri, Nghe An and Son La.

 

Catuai

 

Catuai, a hybrid coffee variety, was imported to Vietnam from Cuba in the 1980s. This coffee variety has a high yield but is susceptible to pests and diseases. As a result, Catuai was not developed further. In Vietnam, Catuai is grown mainly in Phu Quy, Nghe An, Quang Tri. Although it is only grown on a few plantations, the percentage of Catimor in the garden is quite high. They are harvested and exported along with Catimor.

 

Liberica coffee in Vietnam

 

Liberica coffee is called “jackfruit coffee” (because its leaves resemble jackfruit leaves) in Vietnam. This line includes two main varieties: Liberica and Exelsa. It has a bit of strong bitterness – especially the aftertaste – reminiscent of burnt wood. Therefore, it is often used to mix with Arabica and Robusta coffee to create more diverse flavors.

Types of coffee in Vietnam

Liberica coffee in Vietnam

It takes 5 years for a Liberica tree to start appearing in Vietnam. This coffee tree is drought tolerant, requires little water, so they are often grown extensively. Due to its drought tolerance and good resistance to pests and diseases, cherry coffee is preferred as a rootstock for other popular coffee varieties.

On the other hand, Liberica coffee is not as widely produced as Arabica and Robusta in Vietnam today due to low yield, difficult to cultivate and harvest. Compared to Liberica varieties, Excelsa is grown in small quantities. They can be found in some coffee farms in the highland area of ​​Da Lat. Meanwhile, Liberica variety is grown in many regions in Vietnam, including Nghe An, Quang Tri, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Da Lat, where environmental and climatic conditions are ideal for this coffee variety.

 

Peaberry coffee in Vietnam

 

In Vietnam, Peaberry coffee beans (or you can find it sold in Vietnamese supermarkets as Culi – its Vietnamese name) are generally considered a distinct type of coffee bean, although according to This is not true by international standards. Vietnamese coffee farmers always believe that Peaberry has a different taste than Arabica or Robusta coffee beans.

While the regular cherries have two coffee beans with planes facing each other, a Peaberry is a cherry in which only one of the two beans is fertilized, resulting in a single bean developing inside. cherries are oval in shape. Since only one coffee bean is nourished by the coffee cherries instead of two, it is believed that this bean receives more nutrients, so there is more opportunity to develop a richer and superior flavor. than. In addition, the oval shape of the Peaberry coffee bean gives it a strange, unique character and evokes a lot of excitement for coffee lovers!

Peaberry can be found in any type of coffee bean (Robusta or Arabica) and is estimated to make up 5% of a harvest. In Vietnam, since Robusta accounts for 94% of coffee production, it is understandable that almost all of Vietnam’s Peaberries are derived from the Robusta variety. With twice the caffeine content of a typical Arabica, Vietnamese Peaberry has a rich flavor, complex texture with a light taste and sweet aromas of caramel mixed with pecans.

Types of coffee in Vietnam

Peaberry coffee beans have oval shape

Since being introduced to Vietnam in the past, coffee has become one of the most treasured national treasures here due to its contributions to the economy and changing lives of many people. Vietnamese. The rich flavor of coffee has now become an important part of Vietnamese culture and society. Coffee in Vietnam is not just another crop, it’s a way of life. It’s part of the culture.

Although serving no other species than high-quality Specialty coffee, 43 Factory Coffee Roaster still encourages you to experience the full range of specialty coffees in Vietnam. Because it is not only a journey of taste but also of culture.

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