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T he most popular way to escape the relentless tropical heat Times, Vietnam produced just 0.1 percent of the world's coffee of Ho Chi Minh City is to duck into one of its cafés, which supply in 1980 but, remarkably, pushed that number to 13 pernumber in the thousands and take as many shapes and cent by 2000. Last year the country challenged Brazil for numbersizes as one can imagine. Some one status by volume but fell of the outlets in Vietnam's largest city feajust short. Throughout that VIETNAM COFFEE, THE BASICS: ture nothing more than plastic tables and massive expansion, the focus stools under umbrellas, while others are was on yield-based species and • Approximately 95 percent robusta, 5 percent warehouse-sized indoor café arenas. What cultivar selection, meaning Arabica (most Arabica is catimor, but there are isn't so diverse, however, is the coffee being robusta reigned supreme and small amounts of bourbon, typica and catuai) served. Largely robusta-based, it's a strong, questions about the possibility • Harvest: November-March, shipping all year bitter brew to which the Vietnamese conof higher- scoring coffees sumer has grown accustomed. Most folks remained largely unexplored. • Elevation of plantations: 1,600 to 5,250 feet here who call themselves "connoisseurs," Recently, things have (sort (robusta below 2,950, Arabica 2,600 and above) in fact, are simply those who can tolerate of) started to shift. The • Typical harvesting practices: strip-picking, the harsh bitterness of straight black coffee nation's industry recently minimal cherry selection (which locals call café den). held its 2013 Coffee Outlook I was born to a Vietnamese mother and Conference, and the theme was • Typical processing practices: natural/dry for American father in the United States, and "Value Added in Commodity most robusta, Arabica usually semi-washed it took me until 2005 to get to my materChain." Speakers from the and fully washed nal homeland. I have to admit that I preVietnamese industry, as well fer other forms of street vending in Ho as individuals from other Chi Minh City to the coffee, and not just parts of the coffee-producing because I have been steeped in the U.S. and consuming world, contribspecialty scene. Up until recently, almost all uted to talks that touched on the coffee I'd tasted in Vietnam left me with sustainability, climate change a bitter aftertaste and an upset stomach. and the tangible effects of proIn February, however, I came back to the ducing higher-quality coffee. nation with the singular goal of finding and In addition, signs point to making exceptional coffee in Vietnam. I'm the high-volume approach still in the research phase at present, spendreaching its peak. A heavy ing my savings while I try to find consulting drought this year affected the gigs for roasting and retailing companies. robusta-filled Dak Lak provThe experience has been a true education, ince, and declining soil fertiland the intricacies of what's happening in ity and erosion have taken coffee here are well worth sharing. their toll nationwide. As This is a nation that has seen producnature conservation efforts tion explode over the past three decades— increase, the government has to the point where it rivals Brazil as the stopped approving new land world's top producer in terms of volume. for cultivation, forcing the But now coffee growing is reaching its limcoffee industry to create more its as far as sheer quantity is concerned. value with what it already For the first time, incentives and condihas. Finally, public and pritions are in place that can bring legitimate quality focus to this vate sector interests are actively seeking and funding initiatives coffee giant. My aim to is to be a part of that process. that can increase Vietnamese coffee's quality and reputation. This confluence of events has created a great opportunity for better coffee here, as long as the industry in Vietnam can be conRISE TO MEGA-PRODUCER vinced to make a move. Coffee was introduced into Vietnam by the French in 1857, as the colonists were looking for a steadier, more localized source for SPECIES SPEAK their favorite morning addiction. The industry was prosperous but small for more than a century, and then economic reforms in Though 5 percent of Vietnam's overall coffee production is of 1986 allowed for private investment in coffee enterprises. That's the Arabica species, almost all of that is catimor variety, which is when production shot up. According to a recent story in the Taipei a hybrid with robusta rootstock in its lineage and is considered to continued on page 44 Fresh Cup Magazine • freshcup.com 43