Vietnamese coffee is known worldwide for its unique quality and unusual taste. The aroma of this drink interwoven notes of chocolate, vanilla, cocoa, cream and caramel. If you at least once felt its unusual taste with the finest shades, then you will remain a fan of such a drink forever.
Drink history
Coffee is Vietnam's trademark. His story began in 1857. During the colonization of this country, the French planted the first coffee trees here, having determined that the climate of Vietnam is ideal for ripening beans. Ngean Province since 1888 became the place where the first plantations appeared. A little later, coffee began to be grown and harvested on the Tai Nguyen Plateau and in the Central Mountain Region.
In the mid-twentieth century, this fragrant drink was the country's second commodity crop, and it lasted until the US-Vietnam war began, which destroyed the economy of Vietnam. But thanks to the great love of the people for this wonderful drink, in the early 80s of the last century, its production was restored in the country. Since 1996, Vietnam has been the world's second largest exporter of coffee. Now the center of its production is the province of Daklak, located at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level. Plantations occupy 506 thousand ha, yield - approximately 2-2.5 tons per hectare. The annual harvest is about 1 million tons.
In 2001, the country joined the International Coffee Organization, and the quality control of the drink became more stringent. Unfortunately, imperfect methods of cultivation and processing, as well as improper storage and transportation conditions degrade the quality of the product. The drink often does not reach world standards due to the presence of damaged grains and husks in it. Growing and harvesting technologies are not always respected, often green ones are removed along with ripened fruits. In addition, the older the tree, the lower the quality of the grains. There are frequent cases of fakes when soybeans are used instead of coffee beans.
Main varieties
The main varieties are robusta and arabica. The last grade is the most revered among connoisseurs. Arabica beans contain many essential oils, thanks to which the drink has a bright aroma and a mild taste with acidity. This variety is grown in the cool northern regions. Robusta contains twice as much caffeine, so the taste of the drink is slightly bitter. This variety is the most common and budget. Robusta grows in places with high humidity and constantly high temperature.
Trun Nguyen Arabica Se is another popular variety that grows only in Vietnam. The drink has a sour taste with refreshing floral notes. This coffee has no bitterness and has a light vanilla finish.
No less worthy variety is Katimor. This type of Vietnamese coffee was obtained due to the crossing of Cattura and Hibrido de Timor. The Catimore variety is high-yielding and disease-resistant. The drink made from it is full of aromas of herbs and fruits.
The cost of these varieties is different and can range from 5 to 15 $ per 1 kg. Coffee connoisseurs note that all types are surprisingly fragrant and invigorating, after the first sip I want to buy all sorts of samples.
Rare varieties
Vietnamese coffee also has less common varieties, the cost of which is much higher. The price of such varieties ranges from $ 20-60 per 1 kg.
Shari (Excelsa)
This is one of the rarest species. The plant is rather capricious, irregularly fruiting, crop volumes are unpredictable. Because of this, the variety is considered unsuitable for cultivation on an industrial scale. Excels has large grains, the caffeine content in them is minimal, therefore, even after frying, an intense aroma of greens is felt. Judging by customer reviews, a clean drink from this variety is not to everyone's liking, but when it is added to elite coffee blends, unique combinations with wonderful taste shades are obtained.
Dat Saigon - Cooley
In the province of Daklak, an elite, high-quality coffee is produced . Its price is high and is explained by the fact that this species has a rich taste of a very wide range, a bright aroma and a long finish. Cooley is remarkably awake, and is therefore considered the leader among energy drinks. Fans of this variety note that it goes well with ice, while tones and cools, making the drink indispensable in hot weather.
Vietnamese Cooley coffee is produced in very limited quantities. The best grains of robusta and arabica varieties are manually selected by professionals for the manufacture of this drink.
Mine Luwak
This is an exclusive and expensive view. In addition, Vietnamese coffee Luwak is the most exotic variety due to the specific production method. Small predatory animals (musangs) feed on ripe and aromatic fruits of coffee trees, digesting only the shell. After the coffee beans are processed with the gastric juice of the animals, they are collected, washed and roasted. In the stomach of musanga grains are saturated with musk and change their chemical composition, so that the drink acquires a unique aroma, unique taste with notes of chocolate and a long and bright finish.
The most exclusive variety is the "wild" Luwak. This can be explained by the complexity of the collection, because in the wild animals move absolutely freely. This coffee is collected in small quantities, about several hundred kilograms per year. Semi-artificial production, when musangs are bred on farms, is wider. The animals are kept in cages and fed daily with fresh ripe coffee berries. Three to four people are engaged in feeding. A healthy animal eats up to a kilogram of berries in the evening. From this amount, only 50 g of green grains are obtained, which workers collect, wash and dry.
It is believed that the Vietnamese coffee Luwak has strong healing properties. Where to buy this drink today? This can be done in specialized coffee shops. Its price on the plantation is approximately $ 15 per 100 g. In Europe, the cost of a drink reaches $ 400 per 1 kg.
Reviews about Luwak coffee are ambiguous, not everyone dares to try a drink obtained in such an unusual way. Someone does not find anything special in it, noting only a sour taste, for others this coffee is unusually tasty, soft, with chocolate notes. In addition, connoisseurs of this drink say that this coffee does not affect the heart rate at all.
How to make a drink
Making Vietnamese coffee is unthinkable without a special filter coffee machine. They are made of aluminum, stainless steel. Silver is used to produce the most expensive items. Thanks to this device, strong and fragrant Vietnamese coffee is obtained. How to brew it, we will tell in detail. We hope you enjoy the drink.
To prepare one serving of the drink you need:
- ground Vietnamese coffee - two to three teaspoons (it is advisable to use medium-ground coffee);
- 100 ml of boiling water;
- metal filter;
- cup or glass.
Cooking method
The filter is mounted on a glass or ceramic cup. Then ground Vietnamese coffee is poured into it, distributing it evenly along the bottom of the filter. The amount of cereal depends on what strength drink you prefer. We cover the coffee with a press and tamp a little, turning it several times to the sides. Pour about 10 ml of boiling water into the container so that the aroma of the ground grain opens, after 15-20 seconds add the remaining water.
Having covered the container, we wait for the drink to begin to drip. If the droplets fall quickly, it means the coffee is not sufficiently compressed. If slowly, it means, on the contrary, too tight. The optimum brewing time is 5 minutes. The finished drink is filtered through a filter.
Vietnamese coffee hot white
In this recipe, in addition to the main ingredients, condensed milk is also present. The rich and bitter taste of coffee goes well with the sweetness of condensed milk. In addition, the drink has a unique aftertaste.
“How to brew Vietnamese coffee in this way?” - you ask. This is nothing complicated.
In order to cook it, it is necessary to pour the condensed milk into a heat-resistant glass and repeat the brewing procedure described in the previous recipe. The process of observing how hot fragrant drops dissolve in condensed milk is simply mesmerizing. Remove the filter after the coffee passes completely through it and fills the glass. After that, you can mix the drink and enjoy the great taste and aroma. If desired, ice can be added at the last stage of preparation.
Offer your guests to taste real Vietnamese coffee brewed in one way or another. Reviews will undoubtedly be the most enjoyable. This exclusive drink is able to give a lot of taste pleasure to both real coffee connoisseurs and experimenters. Those who at least once tried Vietnamese coffee will never be able to forget the taste of this unique drink.