Vietnamese coffee, which has a unique taste and culture, is speeding up its entry into the global market.
Vietnamese coffee culture began in the 19th century during the French colonial period. The coffee industry grew in earnest when it was found that the coffee brought in by the French was suitable for Vietnam’s climate and soil.
Vietnam is a major producer of the ‘Robusta’ variety, which is used as the main ingredient for instant coffee. For your information, the ‘Arabica’ variety of coffee accounts for three-quarters of global production, and 40% of the world’s coffee is produced in Brazil. Most of the ‘Robusta’ coffee, which accounts for the remaining quarter, is produced in Vietnam. Vietnamese coffee is about 15% of the world’s production.
Exports of Vietnamese coffee beans to Korea surged over the past two years from $80 million in 2022 to $130 million at the end of 2024. It accounts for 10.5% of Korea’s total coffee imports. The region where coffee is mainly produced in Vietnam is the Central Highlands (Dakrak, Ramdong). High-quality coffee production is possible due to the unique climate and fertile soil of the alpine region. “Arabica” coffee is mainly grown in the Sunra region in northwestern Vietnam, and it is attracting attention for its unique flavor in Vietnam due to the addition of soft acidity, fruit scent and nutty flavor.
In Vietnam, coffee is also an important cultural element beyond just drinks. This is because in Vietnam, coffee is an important medium for enjoying thoughts alone as well as meetings and conversations with acquaintances including family members.
Unique coffees that are mainly experienced in large cities in Vietnam include Robusta black coffee, condensed milk coffee, egg coffee, coconut coffee, etc. Black coffee, which is very thick with Robusta beans, is a high-caffeinated coffee. Put it down in a small cup. It has a very bitter taste, so most foreigners drink it by diluting it with water or ice.
condensed milk coffee is a mixture of sweet condensed milk with black coffee, and you can have a unique experience of changing the strong bitter taste of black coffee into a strong sweet taste. It is also cheaper than latte coffee with milk and is gaining popularity throughout Vietnam.
Egg coffee, which was started in Hanoi in the 1940s, is a coffee made with cream made of egg yolk and condensed milk. This is also an idea product that uses eggs that are easier to obtain than condensed milk. The process of tasting egg coffee has become an essential course for Hanoi tourism. The representative product of the successful coffee franchise “Kong Cafe” in Vietnam is coconut coffee. It is popular in large cities as coffee with coconut milk and ice ground in thick coffee. In addition, various coffee franchise stores are thriving in large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
In Vietnam, coffee is also an element that shows the coexistence of tradition and modernity. There is a wide range from traditional street coffee retailers squatting on small chairs such as bath chairs to high-end coffee franchises with modern interiors. The unique experience of enjoying bitter high-caffeinated coffee in Vietnam’s hot summer is gaining popularity from many tourists.
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
