Is Vietnamese Coffee Arabica or Robusta?

When talking about Vietnam, we cannot help but remember the lush green tea hills and vast coffee forests. This place is known as the "coffee kingdom" with coffee output and quality always among the top in the world. However, many people still wonder whether Vietnamese coffee is mainly Arabica or Robusta? Let's explore this answer with Chus in the article below.

Popular coffee beans in Vietnam

Cà phê du nhập vào Việt Nam vào đầu thế kỷ 19 do người Pháp mang đến. Ban đầu, chỉ có cà phê Arabica được trồng tại đây. Tuy nhiên, do khí hậu và điều kiện thổ nhưỡng không phù hợp, Arabica dần dần được thay thế bởi Robusta, một loại cà phê có khả năng thích nghi cao hơn và cho năng suất cao hơn. Robusta thích hợp trồng ở những vùng có điều kiện khí hậu khắc nghiệt như Việt Nam, với độ cao thấp, nhiệt độ cao và lượng mưa dồi dào. Song, hành trình cà phê Việt Nam không chỉ dừng lại ở Robusta đắng đậm, mà còn mở rộng sang những hương vị Arabica tinh túy, cùng với sự xuất hiện của những hạt cà phê Culi và Cherry độc đáo.

1. Robusta beans

When talking about Vietnamese coffee, it is impossible not to mention Robusta - the "coffee queen" with a rich, strong flavor and high caffeine content. Robusta adapts well to Vietnam's climatic conditions, is easy to grow, has high yields, and becomes a rich source of raw materials for the country's coffee industry.

Robusta coffee is often processed into filter coffee, iced milk coffee, flat coffee,... familiar drinks in Vietnamese life. Some famous Robusta regions in Vietnam include Buon Ma Thuot (Dak Lak), Di Linh (Lam Dong), Bao Loc (Lam Dong) with typical Robusta coffee varieties such as Belgian Robusta, Trung Nguyen Robusta, etc. 

2. Arabica beans

Although only accounting for 10% of output, Vietnamese Arabica coffee is marked by its elegant flavor, less astringent, mildly bitter and faintly delicate aroma. In Vietnam, Arabica is grown mainly in the provinces of Lam Dong, Son La, Dien Bien,... The most famous is the Lam Dong Arabica product with its characteristic, rich flavor, imbued with the region's own characteristics. Central Highlands land. Son La Arabica is attractive with its delicate, gentle, sour aroma, very suitable for those who love elegant coffee taste. Or Moka Cau Dat - a "specialty" of Da Lat, with a special flavor, slightly bitter, sour and faintly seductive chocolate smell.

3. Culi beans

Culi coffee is the common name for mutant coffee beans, with only one bean (kernel) in one fruit, instead of two as usual. Culi coffee can appear in both the most popular coffee types, Robusta and Arabica, but the mutation rate is very low, less than 5%. Due to this special feature, Culi possesses a different flavor and quality compared to regular coffee.

Culi coffee has a much higher caffeine content than regular coffee, so it has a richer, bitter and fatty flavor, and possesses a different aroma, depending on the coffee variety it mutates into. For example: Culi Robusta coffee has a strong bitter taste, dark brown color, and gentle aroma. Culi Arabica coffee has a delicate sour taste, light brown color, and passionate aroma.

Due to its low yield and high quality, Culi has a higher commercial value than regular coffee. This is considered the choice of coffee lovers who want to experience the unique and characteristic flavors of Vietnamese coffee.

4. Cherry beans  

Cherry - a productive coffee variety, easy to grow, with good resistance to pests and drought. However, Cherry has a characteristic sour, less bitter flavor, making Cherry less popular. Cherry is often mixed with Robusta or Arabica to create new flavors, or used as a rootstock with Robusta.

You can look more at: Light Roast Coffee VS. Dark Roast Coffee - Which Is Better?

Why is Arabica more popular than Robusta?

On the journey to explore the world of coffee, each person will have their own choices for their favorite drink. However, for true coffee lovers, Arabica is always the top favorite name. Compared to its popular "brother" Robusta, Arabica possesses outstanding advantages, conquering the palate of connoisseurs with its quintessential flavor and premium quality.

Arabica is known as the "queen of coffee" because of its elegant, less astringent flavor, providing a gentle and delicate coffee experience. Unlike the strong bitter taste of Robusta, Arabica attracts drinkers with its harmonious balance between bitter, sour and sweet, creating an unforgettable aftertaste. Each sip of Arabica coffee wafts into the mouth, awakening all senses, bringing a wonderful feeling of refreshment and relaxation.

Arabica coffee beans are grown in highlands, with temperate climate conditions, creating conditions for the tree to grow and produce high quality coffee beans. Arabica has a lower caffeine content than Robusta, suitable for those who are sensitive to caffeine.

With outstanding advantages in taste and quality, Arabica possesses higher value than Robusta. High market demand and low output make Arabica a popular and sought after coffee among coffee connoisseurs.

From precious Arabica coffee beans, people can create countless unique coffee drinks, meeting all tastes and needs of drinkers. From rich Espresso, creamy Cappuccino to elegant Latte or light Americano, Arabica always brings new and exciting coffee experiences.

Is Vietnamese coffee arabica or robusta?

Vietnamese coffee is not simply Arabica or Robusta, but a unique blend of these two coffee varieties.

Strong, rich Robusta accounts for more than 90% of output, creating Vietnamese coffee identity with a unique, unforgettable flavor. However, Arabica also contributes to beautifying the coffee picture, bringing new experiences to drinkers.

It can be said that Vietnamese coffee is a multi-hued symphony, where strong Robusta blends with Arabica to create a unique, unforgettable flavor. Each type of coffee has its own identity, meeting the diverse needs and preferences of drinkers. It is this unique combination that has created the world-famous Vietnamese coffee brand, affirming its position on the international coffee map.

Conclusion

The journey to discover Vietnamese coffee has not ended yet. Each cup of coffee is a story, a blend of flavors and emotions. Let's continue writing the Vietnamese coffee journey with CHUS, spreading the flavor of Vietnamese coffee to international friends and affirming the position of Vietnamese coffee on the world coffee map!

At CHUS, you will be immersed in the rich world of coffee with a variety of single origin coffees, blended coffees, and roasted and ground coffee on request. Each type of coffee has a unique flavor, containing interesting stories about the land, people and coffee culture of Vietnam.