The Soil First
The Central Highlands of Vietnam are a geological accident, a series of plateaus that rise abruptly from the coastal plains, their surfaces worn smooth by ancient rivers and punctuated by volcanic cones that have long since gone dormant. The soil here is a mix of volcanic ash and laterite, a red, iron-rich clay that forms in tropical climates where the heat and rain leach nutrients from the earth. It is not the kind of soil that invites agriculture. It is the kind of soil that demands it.
The plateaus are between 500 and 800 meters above sea level, a zone where the air is cool enough to stifle the worst of the tropical diseases but hot enough to keep the coffee plants growing year-round. The rainfall is heavy, but predictable, falling in two distinct seasons that allow for two harvests a year. The land is flat enough to farm with machinery but steep enough to drain the water quickly.
How Coffee Got Here
Coffee arrived in Vietnam in 1857, brought by French colonists who were looking for a way to make money from their new territory. The French planted their coffee in the Central Highlands. After independence in 1954, coffee production declined. Then, in 1986, the government of Vietnam announced Doi Moi (“renovation”) — economic reforms that included the privatization of agriculture. The government also set explicit targets for coffee production. The result was a coffee boom. By 2000, Vietnam had surpassed Colombia as the world’s second-largest producer of coffee.
The Growing Regions
The Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum account for 80% of the country’s coffee production. The coffee here is mostly robusta — more resistant to disease and pests than arabica, can be grown at lower altitudes and in hotter temperatures, and ideal for instant coffee.
The Northwest of Vietnam — the provinces of Son La and Dien Bien — is a newer coffee region at higher altitudes between 500 and 1,000 meters, where the climate is cooler and more temperate. The arabica here is of higher quality, and it is growing, though the production is still small.
In the Cup
Vietnamese coffee is bold, heavy, and woody — the character of robusta. It is a coffee that is meant to be drunk with sweetened condensed milk. The national drink, Ca Phe Sua Da, is iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk, brewed in a phin filter. It is thick, sweet, and bitter — both refreshing and energizing.
Where It Fits Now
Vietnam is working to improve the quality of its robusta and expand its arabica production. The specialty coffee market is beginning to notice Vietnamese robusta, particularly from farms that grow under shade trees at 600 meters or higher. These farms are producing robusta of higher quality being used for specialty coffee. Vietnam is no longer just a supplier of instant coffee — it is becoming a destination for coffee travelers and a supplier of specialty coffee.