Vietnam ’ s Coffee History
Feature Article
Vietnam ’ s Coffee History
Coffee was introduced to Vietnam in 1857 by the French and slowly grew as producer of coffee in Asia . The height of coffee production occurred in the early 20th century as small-scale production shifted towards plantations . The first instant coffee plant , Coronel Coffee Plant , was established in Biên Hòa , Đồng Nai Province in 1969 , with a production capacity of 80 tons per year .
The Vietnam War disrupted production of coffee in the Buôn Ma Thuột region , the plateau on which the industry was centred . Although seldom involved in conflict , the area was a crossroads between North and South and was largely depopulated . After the war , the industry , like most agriculture , was collectivized , limiting private enterprise and resulting in low production .
Following Đổi mới reforms in 1986 , privately owned enterprise was once again permitted , resulting in a surge of growth in the industry . Cooperation between growers , producers and government resulted in branding finished coffees and exporting products for retail . It was during this time that many new companies involved in coffee production were established , including Đắk Lắk-based Trung Nguyên in 1996 and Highlands Coffee in 1998 . Both of these continued on to establish major brands distributed through a widespread network of coffee shops . By the late 1990s , Vietnam had become the world ' s # 2 coffee producer after Brazil , but production was largely focused on Robusta beans — considered inferior to Arabica due to their bitterness — for export as a commodity . Recent government initiatives have sought to improve the quality of coffee exports , including more widespread planting of Arabica beans , the development of mixed-bean coffees , and specialty coffee such as kopi luwak ( Vietnamese : cà phê chồn , " weasel coffee ").
By 2000 , coffee production had grown to 900,000 tons per year . Price decreases , however , led annual production to drop to around 600,000 tons / year in 2003 . In 2009 , Reuters reported Vietnamese coffee exports at " an estimated 1.13 million tonnes " for the previous year , stating that coffee was second only to rice in value of agriproducts exported from Vietnam .
Coffee Vietnamese style
Cà phê đá - Coffee served on a bed of ice Cà phê sữa đá - Coffee served with condensed milk , on ice Cà phê trung - like a cappuccino , except with the addition of an egg or two Kopi luwak - The process of making coffee by feeding beans to civets - a type of weasel - and then roasting the ex- creted beans .
How to make a Cà phê trung
Ingredients 1 egg 3 teaspoons of Vietnamese coffee powder 2 teaspoons of sweetened condensed milk Boiling water
Cà phê trung
Directions Brew a small cup of Vietnamese coffee . Crack an egg and discard the whites . Put the yolk and the sweetened condensed milk in a small , deep bowl and whisk vigorously until you end up with a frothy , fluffy mixture like the one above . Add a tablespoon of the brewed coffee and whisk it in . In a clear coffee cup ( we ’ re going for aesthetics here ), pour in your brewed coffee , then add the fluffy egg mixture on top . Presto . Egg coffee .
The MAG Vung Tau 15