Origin of coffee in Vietnam

Coffee may have been brought to Vietnam to be grown sporadically by Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French missionaries from the 17th and 18th centuries, but it was not until the French colonialists partially colonized Vietnam and placed When protection was established throughout the world, coffee could be grown officially and on a large scale. Until the French Revolution of 1789, France was the world’s leading producer and consumer of coffee.

At first, Arabica coffee varieties were put into trial cultivation in the North and then in the Central region of Vietnam (Quang Tri, Bo Trach,…). After harvest, it is processed under the Arabica du Tonkin brand and imported to France. The reason the Arabica type was tested first is because it is more valuable and suitable for highland areas. Meanwhile, Robusta, a variety from the African equatorial forest, has twice the caffeine content of Arabica, is suitable for temperatures from 22 – 26 degrees and requires a rainfall of 1.5m – 2m/year. This experiment was not successful, partly because the long-settled land was not suitable for the expansion of industrialized plantations, there was no colonial status and the habit here was tea culture like China.

Coffee plantation with French owner - photo source: Reddit Vietnam — *Coffee plantation with French owner – photo source: Reddit Vietnam*

Since 1925, after careful surveys of climate and soil as well as social and political considerations, the French planted coffee experimentally in the Central Highlands, especially the Lang Biang plateau (Lam Dong) and Dak Lak (Ban Me Thuot), with French owners and mainly ethnic workers. Lang Biang is more suitable for Arabica varieties, while in Dak Lak it is Robusta varieties.

*Công nhân người dân tộc thiểu số tại các đồn điền cà phê của Pháp thời xưa – nguồn ảnh: Reddit Vietnam*

*Các quán cà phê gian đoạn 1960 tại Sài Gòn – nguồn ảnh: Internet*

During the war period of 1960 – 1975, coffee shops with melodious and lyrical music such as Trinh Cong Son, Ngo Thuy Mien,… became the culture of a whole generation of young people during the war. After 1975, coffee returned to the North, becoming a feature of life nationwide – bringing freshness to increasingly vibrant cities with the pace of globalized market life. In 2001, Vietnam officially became the second coffee exporting country in the world, annually earning the national budget more than one billion USD.

And from then until now, coffee culture has become a cultural beauty in the lives of Vietnamese people, an attractive flavor and a familiar meeting place for many people.

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MINH PHAT International Coffee Company
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