Vietnamese coffee tends to cause a lot of confusion in the coffee-drinking community.
To some, Vietnamese coffee is synonymous with a dark and robust mass-market blend, while others think of Vietnamese coffee as a tall, frothy, sweet iced coffee-concoction.
Sadly, in most cases, Vietnam isn’t the first place coffee fanatics look to for specialty beans. Although Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee producer, most of the country’s coffee beans are mass-produced Robusta beans.
But that shouldn’t stop you from taking a second glance at Vietnamese coffee. There are several specialty coffee roasters producing dangerously delicious coffee beans from this southeast Asian retreat.
These premium brews are guaranteed to debunk any misconceptions you’ve read or heard about Vietnamese coffee beans.
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Vietnamese Coffee Flavor Profile
Though specialty Arabica coffee beans are increasing in popularity, Vietnam is still best-known for producing highly caffeinated, slightly bitter, Robusta coffee beans.
Vietnamese coffee is notoriously dark, robust, and has a reputation for being the perfect complementary bean for premium espresso or Arabica blends.
Traditional Vietnamese coffee is known for its thick aroma and exceptionally dark roast. However, it’s not uncommon for Vietnamese coffee roasters to roast their beans with butter or some sugar to offset the smokiness of their Robusta beans.
Traditional Vietnamese Coffee
If you were to walk into a Vietnamese coffeehouse and asked for a traditional cup of joe, you wouldn’t be served a venti cappuccino, espresso, or latte.
Coffee in Vietnam is traditionally brewed in a phin, which consists of a perforated plate that fits over a coffee cup, a brewing chamber, a perforated insert that sits inside of the chamber to compress the coffee grounds, and a lid to contain heat and create coffee magic.
To every coffee elitist’ delight, the Phin looks and functions a lot like the enchanting child of a French Press and pour over. Coffee brewed in a Phin is prepared slowly and meticulously, drip by drip – encouraging coffee-lovers to slow down and savor their beans.
Once the coffee is brewed, it can be enjoyed black, iced or hot, with cream and sugar, or with another Vietnamese favorite – sweetened condensed milk.
Vietnamese Coffee Cultivation
By the late 1990s, Vietnam was the leading coffee producer in Southeast Asia and the second largest coffee producer in the world. However, production has always been largely focused on Robusta beans.
Most of Vietnam’s coffee production is concentrated in the rich volcanic mountain soil of the Central Highlands. Arabica, in particular, is traditionally cultivated in the Lam Dong province, while Dak Lak and Dak Nong cultivate mostly Robusta beans.
Interestingly, Vietnam has the ideal geographic and climate conditions to support the cultivation of Arabica beans. According to the International Coffee Organization, Vietnam is actively looking to improve the quality of their coffee and hoping to expand the cultivation of Arabica beans.
Conclusion
Coffee connoisseurs will tell you that the only bean worth brewing is the Arabica bean. But Vietnamese coffee, whether Arabica or Robusta, is notably robust, aromatic, and unique, making this coffee worth trying out, regardless of its humble beginnings.