Story: Nam Hoa
Photos: Thai Bana
A harbor for coffee trees
Situated at altitudes ranging from approximately 600 to 1,500 meters, Vietnam’s Central Highlands boast about two million hectares of fertile basalt soil—formed through volcanic eruptions. Rich in nutrients with a loose, porous texture, this soil is ideal for crop cultivation, especially for high-economic-value perennial industrial crops like coffee, tea, rubber, pepper, and cashews.
Originally hailing from distant Africa, coffee trees were introduced to Vietnam in the latter half of the 19th century by European missionaries. Initially planted in the northern regions, coffee gradually made its way southward. By the early 20th century, after decades of wandering across Vietnamese lands, the “ship” of coffee found its “harbor” in the Central Highlands. Here, the altitude, climate, and soil conditions were perfectly suited to coffee-growing, and the locals quickly developed a deep affection for coffee trees.
Coffee connoisseurs note that coffee from this region occasionally carries the rich taste of butter and caramel, flavors crafted by the sun and wind of the Central Highlands. This harmonious relationship between the trees and the soil has elevated Vietnam to the position of the world’s second-largest coffee exporter. Notably, Vietnam ranks first globally for the production of Robusta coffee.
Coffee has transformed the lives of people in the Central Highlands and made significant contributions to the nation’s economic development. Conversely, Vietnam has cultivated a unique coffee culture with its own identity. Different coffee varieties have local names. Arabica coffee is called “cà phê chè” (tea coffee) because its leaves resemble those of tea plants. This variety only thrives in certain areas of Lam Dong province, yielding modest quantities but exceptional quality. Robusta coffee is referred to as “cà phê vối” because its leaves resemble those of the “vối” plant (C. operculatus)—a simple and familiar nomenclature.
Cultivation and processing
Farmers in the Central Highlands typically mark agricultural milestones according to the lunar calendar. After harvesting around mid-October, coffee trees are pruned and continuously watered until the arrival of the rains, usually in the third lunar month. Just before the Lunar New Year, the coffee flowers bloom for the first time. From the full moon to the end of the first lunar month is the second flowering period. Although there are fewer flowers, the fruit-setting rate is exceptionally high. Around the end of the second lunar month, the coffee trees bloom for the final time. When the rains grow heavy, coffee growers need only weed and apply regular fertilizer, providing the trees with additional nutrients to nurture the developing cherries. In August, the coffee cherries begin to ripen, and by October, the plantations are adorned with ripe red berries and bustling with the cheerful chatter of harvesters.
There are two methods to process coffee cherries into green coffee beans. The dry processing method involves drying or sun-drying the cherries before milling them to remove the outer layers, leaving only the silverskin (which contains a high caffeine content) enveloping the bean. The wet processing method requires selecting ripe cherries and placing them in water-filled stirring tanks to remove the pulp, retaining a layer of “parchment skin” that encases the silverskin and bean. The beans are then spread on drying racks to ferment. After fermentation, the beans are hulled to remove the parchment skin before being roasted and ground for consumption. This method yields green coffee beans that are far more aromatic and flavorful compared to ones that are dry-processed.
A unique coffee specialty that cannot go unmentioned in the Central Highlands is “weasel coffee” (cà phê chồn). Interestingly, civets are fond of eating ripe coffee cherries. Enzymes in their digestive systems ferment the beans before they are excreted, inadvertently creating green coffee beans with a distinctive and exceptional flavor. To obtain this rare and special type of coffee, the E De people monitor groups of wild civets as they feast on ripe cherries, taking note of those areas. At the end of the season, they collect this extraordinary “product”.
More than coffee
Dak Lak—the coffee capital of the Central Highlands—is known for famous specialties like yellow ant salt, made with the carcasses of yellow ants, and Muồng caterpillars. Yellow ants originally lived in the forests but later developed a preference for residing on coffee trees. People collect the ant nests and shake them out, gathering both the ants and their eggs. These are roasted and mixed with coarse salt to create a dipping condiment. The E De people also use yellow ant salt and various other spices to marinate pork before cooking, resulting in an exceptionally delicious flavor.
In the Central Highlands, spring skies are full of fluttering yellow butterflies—a magnificent spectacle that lasts only a short time. Before the end of their life cycle, yellow butterflies lay eggs on the branches of cassia trees, which French colonial-era coffee-growers planted between coffee trees to serve as windbreaks. These eggs hatch into caterpillars that feed on cassia leaves. Mature cassia caterpillars then molt into pupae. When the first rains arrive, the pupae metamorphose into yellow butterflies that joyfully flutter across the land and sky, beginning a new life cycle. Cassia caterpillars have become a specialty of the local E De people, who boil, fry, or sauté the caterpillars, which have a sweet, nutty, and rich flavor.
When coffee trees burst into fragrant white blossoms across the Central Highlands, it’s time for beekeepers to move their hives into the plantations so the bees can produce honey. Under a brilliant sunset, the neatly arranged beehives in the coffee fields resemble apartment complexes beneath the trees’ canopy-a truly poetic scene. Coffee blossom honey carries the fragrance of the flowers and a slight caffeine content, making it sweeter and more concentrated than honey from other blooms.
Today, we can’t mention the Central Highlands without thinking of coffee and vice versa, although this fertile land is also suitable for many other crops. The “love story” between the coffee tree and the soil of the Central Highlands is familiar to us: we may know many, but bond with the one who suit us best.
