Vietnam (Asia)

This month I decided to stay in Asia and share a country close to my heart, Vietnam. I wanted to share a little more about this country since, along with Ethiopia/Eritrea, this country was a catalyst in my coffee company. During my visit to Vietnam, one of my newly found friends there shared a huge blessing with me. After asking where I could find 5 lbs of Robusto and Arabica to take home and practice my roasting, in addition to sharing a unique bean with others, my friend gave me a great surprise. He said “Only 10 lbs. of beans? Why not 20 kilos?” I said “Sure!, but i’m not trying to be greedy.” He contacted his family who owned a coffee farm, and when we arrived in Saigon we picked them up at a local bus depot.

My passion for this specific coffee grew rapidly from this visit. First off I was amazed Vietnam was the second largest producer of coffee next to Brazil. This was surprising considering I had previously never found one coffee shop that sold this coffee. Second was the way they drank it. The above photo was taken on a boat in Ha Long Bay. The traditional way is to use a healthy portion of fine grinds, pour boiling water over the top and watch it slowly drip into your cup for a very potent and thick cup of coffee. From there you can add condensed milk to offset the bitterness, and in many cases, ice for a cold sweet treat. The roasted bean tends to be on the dark side.

After sharing all 45 lbs of my gift with many I encountered along the Jersey shore, in addition to many cups myself with my mom, it helped me to practice and share a special souvenir. It especially created a demand until this day my mom requests me to mail to her. Due to this I had to find a provider of this more rare region. The bean I have currently found comes from Copan Coffee and has dried fruits, vanilla, prune, toffee. When enjoyed at a medium/dark roast the notes tend to come out in a subtle manner.

If you ever have a chance to try a Vietnamese coffee, which is often offered at many Vietnamese restaurants I encourage you to do so. It may not be the freshest cup since it will probably come from a can or a bag that’s been imported, but it will still be a very unique cup of coffee. In addition if you have a chance to support this country who through colonization developed a large market for their coffee culture, it is greatly appreciated. Capitalism is beginning to blossom in the communist country. Through this growth, there has been a large amount of people lifted from poverty over the past couple of decades. No matter what business people there are 2 things that fuel the everyday life of the Vietnamese, green tea at every door step for a welcomed stranger, and coffee every morning and mid day break to get the day moving and keep it going.

My gift bag. In addition is a 1 kilo bag of a coffee I bought in Old Chinatown. I found this place on the “Best Food Review Show”. Once a week they roast 60 lbs of beans in the middle of the street.