Coffee - A gift with Vietnamese cultural identity

Coffee isn't only a drink but also a culture and lifestyle of Vietnamese people. Unique creations like egg coffee, salted coffee... have conquered many world foodies. The subsequent article will provides a general overview of Vietnamese coffee , from the looks of coffee within the S-shaped country to the formation of Vietnamese coffee culture and also the important effects that coffee herald life.

The origin of the coffee tree

The first coffee tree was brought to Vietnam by the French in 1857, from these first-class plantations in Indochina, coffee trees have made strong changes, escaping from subsidized institutions, becoming one of the most important coffee trees in the world. crops with the highest export value (after rice), and put our country on the 2nd position of the world coffee map.

Coffee production steadily increased by 20%-30% annually during the 1990s, with small coffee gardens planted on half a million plots (two to three acres). This has helped turn the economy around.

During the reform, the coffee industry was nationalized, flourished in the Central Highlands provinces, private enterprises were replicated, leading to a sudden development of the coffee processing industry. The partnership between growers, producers and the state has resulted in the branding of finished coffee and the export of retail products. Typical examples include Trung Nguyen coffee in 1996 and Highlands Coffee in 1998.

In recent years, the government departments and agencies have sought to improve the quality of exported coffee, including the expansion of tea-producing areas – today mainly grown in the northern provinces such as Quang Tri. (Quang Tri) and Son La. However, the most important area for coffee in general is still the Central Highlands (Dak Lak, Kon Tum and Lam Dong. The Central Highlands have led the production of Robusta coffee both in terms of area and output. in Vietnam, but also around the world with some geographical indications such as 'Buon Ma Thuot', Cau Dat - Da Lat, .. known for its strong taste due to the characteristics of the soil.

Percentage of Vietnamese drinking coffee

The proportion of Vietnamese people using coffee is kind of high, especially in big cities. Of the entire drinks selected per week in Ho Chi Minh City, this drink accounted for 26%. This number will be said to be quite high compared to the range of drinks available on the market.

According to data collected from a survey, the proportion of Vietnamese people using hot and cold coffee by gender, up to 75% of men prefer hot drink, 65% choose java. In women, the rates are 25% and 35%, respectively. From this, it is often seen that men consume quite a lot of women.

How much coffee does Vietnam export to the world? 

Recently, although the globe economy has had many difficult times resulting in a decrease in purchasing power, Vietnam's coffee exports have maintained a really encouraging rate of growth, reaching 8.2%/year. with a median turnover of three.13 billion USD/year within the period 2011 - 2018, accounting for 15% of the country's total agricultural exports.

Our coffee products are exported to over 80 countries and territories, accounting for 14.2% of the world green coffee export market share (ranked second, after Brazil); specifically, export roasted and ground coffee has accounted for 9.1% of the market share (ranked 5th, after Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia and India), creating many opportunities and prospects for the coffee industry when Vietnam penetrates deeper into the international market through signed trade agreements.

The EU is Vietnam's largest coffee consuming market, accounting for 40% of the entire volume and 38% of the country's total export turnover; followed by geographical area, accounting for 13% of the full volume and total turnover…

The world's leading coffee exporting countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia... mainly export coffee within the kind of green beans, that is, only in post-harvest processing activities. Some countries have roasting and grinding operations, but only a little percentage of total coffee exports.

Particularly for Vietnam, since the mid-90s of the last century, post-harvest processing has been paid great attention. As a result, from having the price at the Vietnamese port to 400-500 USD under the reference price at the London commodities exchange, Vietnam has gradually narrowed this gap so far, the terms Vietnam's coffee has been in line with world market prices.

Vietnamese famous kinds of coffee

There are 5 popular types of coffee that are popular today: Robusta, Arabica, Cherri, Moka, Culi.

Vietnamese ROBUSTA Coffee

Robusta coffee is also known as Voi coffee. This is a type of coffee that is very suitable for the climate and soil in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, annually reaching 90-95% of the total coffee production. This type of coffee has a strong aroma, not sour, high caffeine content, suitable for Vietnamese taste.

The beans of Robusta coffee are smaller than Arabica. Must be dried directly, not fermented, bitter taste dominates. It is grown at altitudes below 600m, tropical climate and present in many countries. Vietnam accounts for a third of the world's coffee consumption.

ARABICA

Jute is one of the types of coffee with slightly long beans, grown at an altitude of over 600m. Arabica berries are harvested, then fermented, washed and dried. The taste of Arabica is a bit sour, people often compare it to when they eat a lemon, it will be very sour, but immediately see the bitterness of the peel.

CHERRY

Cherry coffee or jackfruit coffee includes two main varieties, Liberica and Exelsa. This variety is not very popular, but has very good disease resistance and high yield. It is grown in the dry, windy and sunny regions of the Highlands. Yellow beans, shiny and beautiful. Cherry is very suitable for women's preferences with a blend of smell and taste creating a rustic, noble and noble feeling.

CULI COFFEE

One-fruit culi coffee has only one bean. It has a bitter taste, passionate aroma, high caffeine content, and black water.

MOKA COFFEE

Moka coffee is one of the famous coffee lines of the Arabica genus. In Vietnam, known as a rare coffee, it is always priced higher than other types. Moka seeds are much larger and more beautiful than other varieties. Its fragrance is very special, very luxurious, ecstatic, slightly acidic tastefully, for the connoisseur.

Wonderful benefits of coffee

In coffee, there is a lot of caffeine, which is a substance that has many effects on the body, and at the same time, beneficial minerals and compounds also give regular coffee drinkers many benefits.

Talking about the beneficial effects of coffee, one can list a series of categories such as: Anti-drowsy, refreshing, more comfortable, preventing cancer, aging, prolonging life, beauty , weight loss,… And many other benefits.