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, preventing the root rot that kills so many coffee plants. It is a place that seems designed for coffee, but only because someone decided to plant coffee there. ## 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 had already established coffee plantations in Algeria and Madagascar, and they saw Vietnam as another opportunity to grow a crop that could be sold back in Europe. They brought with them seeds of Coffea arabica, the same species that would later become the basis of the global coffee industry. The French planted their coffee in the Central Highlands, where the climate was similar to that of their other plantations. They built large estates, complete with processing facilities and labor camps, and they began to export coffee to France and other European countries. The coffee was not particularly good, but it was cheap, and it was enough to satisfy the growing demand for coffee in Europe. The French left Vietnam in 1954, after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and the coffee plantations were left behind. The Vietnamese government took over the estates, but they did not know how to manage them. The coffee production declined, and by the 1980s, Vietnam was producing only a few thousand bags of coffee a year. Then, in 1986, the government of Vietnam announced a series of economic reforms known as Doi Moi, or “renovation.” The reforms included the privatization of agriculture, which allowed farmers to own their land and sell their crops on the open market. The government also set explicit targets for coffee production, and it provided farmers with loans and technical assistance to help them grow coffee. The result was a coffee boom. Vietnamese farmers planted coffee in massive monoculture blocks, and by 2000, Vietnam had surpassed Colombia as the world’s second-largest producer of coffee. ## The Growing Regions
The Central Highlands are the heart of Vietnam’s coffee industry. The 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, a species of coffee that is more resistant to disease and pests than arabica, and that can be grown at lower altitudes and in hotter temperatures. Robusta is a hardy plant, and it produces more beans per hectare than arabica. It is also more bitter and more caffeinated, which makes it ideal for instant coffee. The instant coffee industry is the largest consumer of robusta, and Vietnam is the largest supplier of robusta to the world. The Northwest of Vietnam is a newer coffee region, and it is home to the country’s arabica production. The provinces of Son La and Dien Bien are at higher altitudes, between 500 and 1000 meters, and the climate is cooler and more temperate. The arabica here is of higher quality than the robusta, and it is being used to make specialty coffee. The arabica production in the Northwest is still small, but it is growing. The government is investing in research and development to improve the quality of the arabica, and it is providing farmers with training and technical assistance to help them grow better coffee. ## Processing & Economics
The robusta beans are typically dry-processed, which means that they are dried in the sun with the fruit still attached. This method is cheaper than wet processing, which involves fermenting the beans to remove the fruit, but it also produces a lower-quality bean. The dry-processed beans are smaller, rounder, and more bitter than wet-processed beans, and they have a higher caffeine content. Instant coffee is made by extracting the flavor from the beans and then dehydrating the extract. The robusta beans are ideal for this process because they have a strong, bitter flavor that survives the dehydration. Vietnam is the largest supplier of robusta to the instant coffee industry, and it is also the largest exporter of coffee in the world. The country produces 30 million bags of coffee annually, and almost all of it is robusta. The coffee is sold to companies like Nestle and Starbucks, who use it to make instant coffee and espresso blends. The coffee industry is a major source of income for Vietnam, and it is also a major source of employment. There are an estimated 1 million people employed in the coffee industry, and the coffee exports account for 10% of the country’s total exports. ## In the Cup
Vietnamese coffee is not like other coffees. It is bitter, heavy, and woody, with none of the acidity or complexity of arabica. It is a coffee that is meant to be drunk with sweetened condensed milk, which balances the bitterness of the robusta. The national drink of Vietnam is Ca Phe Sua Da, which is iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk. The coffee is brewed in a phin, a small metal filter that sits on top of a glass. The condensed milk is poured into the glass first, and then the coffee is brewed on top. The result is a thick, sweet, and bitter drink that is both refreshing and energizing. The Ca Phe Sua Da is a drink that is meant to be sipped slowly, and it is a drink that is often shared with friends and family. It is a drink that is associated with leisure and relaxation, and it is a drink that is often consumed in the afternoon, when the sun is at its hottest. ## Where It Fits Now
Vietnam is working to improve the quality of its robusta, and it is also working to 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 that is of higher quality than the typical robusta, and it is being used to make specialty coffee. The arabica production in the Northwest is also growing, and it is being used to make specialty coffee. Vietnam is no longer just a supplier of instant coffee. It is becoming a supplier of specialty coffee, and it is becoming a destination for coffee travelers who are looking for new and different coffees. ## Personal Close
I have been to Vietnam, and I have drunk Ca Phe Sua Da. I have sat in a cafe in Hanoi, watching the motorbikes zoom by, and I have sipped my coffee slowly, letting the bitterness and sweetness mix on my tongue. I have also been to the Central Highlands, and I have walked through the coffee plantations, seeing the rows of coffee trees stretching out to the horizon. I have talked to the farmers, and I have learned about their struggles and their successes. Vietnam is a country that is changing, and its coffee industry is changing with it. The coffee is getting better, and the farmers are getting richer. The country is becoming a destination for coffee travelers, and it is becoming a supplier of specialty coffee. And yet, the Ca Phe Sua Da remains the same. It is still bitter, and it is still sweet, and it is still a drink that is meant to be shared. It is a drink that is a part of Vietnamese culture, and it is a drink that is a part of Vietnamese identity. It is a drink that is proof of the resilience of the Vietnamese people, and it is a drink that is proof of the power of coffee.