Did you know Vietnam usually takes the spot of the second largest coffee producer in the world second only to Brazil? Coffee was originally brought to Vietnam by the French in 1857 during their period of initial colonization. While Vietnam is mostly known for growing robusta coffee beans today, the French brought arabica beans first. These were grown in the more northern regions of the country in and around the French Catholic churches. However, by 1908, robustas were brought into Vietnam, and the French found that the more tropical and rainy areas of the south were more conducive to growing coffee than the drier, temperate northern regions of the country.
In more recent years, the effects of climate change have affected production due to the exacerbating spreads of pests and diseases, aging coffee trees, and general crop competition as smaller farmers find their profit margins shrinking. To combat this, the Vietnamese government developed the “Vietnam Sustainable Coffee Plan and Vision to 2030”. The plan focuses on better developing technological processing infrastructure, implementing water-saving irrigation techniques, teaching farmers more environmentally sound practices, capping nationwide coffee cultivation at 600,000 hectares, and finally, expanding into high-quality arabica growing.
Currently, robusta beans account for 97% of the coffee grown in the country and while there are small growing regions in the North-West and South-East, the tropical Central Highlands region is the primary growing region. Within this area of the country, five provinces account for the centers of production. These five provinces are Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng. The average farmer in the Dung K’No region of Vietnam cultivates on about 1.2 hectares of land. They grow a mix of Catimor with some heirloom Arabica varieties, though the country is more famous for its Robusta production.
Like any type of coffee, there are multiple ways to brew it. Each brings out specific flavor notes, accentuating some and downplaying others. Within Vietnam, there is a traditional drip method of brewing coffee called phin. This method is closest to a pour-over, yet similar to an Aeropress in that coffee brewed using a phin is brewed directly over the cup.
These types of filters are easy to get a hold of if you want to try them out for yourself. They come in multiple sizes ranging from 4oz, 12oz, and up to 24oz. We suggest purchasing the 12oz phin filter from Ngyuen Coffee Supply if you want to brew Vietnamese coffee in a traditional manner. Another brew method is the French Press. Given robusta bean’s preference for dark roasts, Vietnam’s history with the French, and how the French Press excels at brewing dark roasts, it's a no-brainer! Finally, the third brewing method is using Vietnamese beans for your espresso blend.
How to Make Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá):
Most westerner’s familiarity with Vietnamese coffee usually comes from having the traditional drink, Cà Phê Sữa Đá, which literally translates to iced milk coffee. The beverage is served cold given the tropical climate of Vietnam and made with a phin. However, the drink can also be made “hot” by taking out the sweetened condensed milk and ice. This coffee drink is very similar to the French café au lait and uses sweetened condensed milk rather than regular milk due to the long colonial shipping times from France to Vietnam. If you want to try making it home here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- A phin coffee filter or a French press
- 1 oz of coarsely ground Vietnamese beans
- ½ oz of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 oz boiled water
Recipe:
(Please note that our recipe assumes you are using a phin filter. If you are using a French Press, just make a traditional French press and combine it into a cup as described below)
- Pour in the sweetened condensed milk into the cup first as the coffee will drip into the cup.
- Add the ground coffee into the phin filter.
- Add less than an oz of hot water to the grounds and let bloom for 30-40 seconds.
- Add the rest of the water to steep the grounds.
- Let the coffee drip into the cup. This should be about 5 minutes or so.
- Stir coffee and sweetened condensed milk together, add ice, and enjoy!