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Discover the fascinating world of Vietnamese coffee and learn the secrets behind the world-famous ‘egg coffee’, first invented in 1946 in Hà Nội, but still as delicious as ever.
Discover the fascinating world of Vietnamese coffee and learn the secrets behind the world-famous ‘egg coffee’, first invented in 1946 in Hà Nội, but still as delicious as ever.
The book shares the story of Việt Nam and its coffee, tales of people who work in the country’s booming coffee sector, and the role coffee has played in shaping Việt Nam since the arrival of the first beans more than 160 years ago.
At Lacàph, we are passionate about Vietnamese coffee, and we want to share our passion with you. It’s embodied in the coffees we produce, blended from beans grown by our network of carefully selected smallholder farmers across four provinces of Việt Nam.
But our passion extends beyond producing excellent coffees.
Lacàph Phin Blend capsules is a Nespresso-compatible with compostable capsule material. High-quality Robusta beans grown in the fertile red basalt soil of Ðắk Nông Province blended with a small amount of Arabica to complement and balance their bold flavors and sensory characteristics. Lacàph Phin Blend Capsules brews a traditional Vietnamese phin coffee with an enticing modern twist.
Box: 10 capsules x 6g
Lacàph Espresso Blend capsules is a Nespresso-compatible with compostable capsule material. Arabica beans from a pioneering Arabica farm in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, honey processed and then blended with Robusta to create a multi-layered coffee with strong, bold flavors. Lacàph Espresso Blend Capsules brews a round-bodied coffee that perfectly combines mild acidity and sweetness.
Box: 10 capsules x 6g
Arabica beans from our network of smallholder farms in Lâm Đồng Province roasted to enhance their smooth, dark, chocolaty notes then cold-brewed for over 18 hours. Lacàph Signature Cold Brew is a deeply refreshing drink, amazing on its own, or as an ideal mixer with something stronger.
Ngọc’s family has been farming coffee for over 80 years. We use his Arabica Bourbon & Cascara in our Lacàph Espresso Blend and Cold Steeped Cascara.
You could say that coffee runs through Ngọc’s veins, fuelling the passion that drives him to grow the best coffee he can. He was born into a coffee farming family, grew up among the coffee trees of his family’s plantation, and now grows some of the best coffee in Việt Nam with beans that rank on the Specialty Coffee Association scale.
His farm is just outside Đà Lạt City in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng. The plantation was established in 1927 by a French family who were early settlers in the region, and Ngọc’s grandparents were among the first laborers to work the farm. It’s been in the family for three generations now, handed down from father to son for almost 100 years as they worked the land together.
The first coffee trees on the farm were Arabica Bourbon and Typica, planted and harvested by his grandparents in the late-1920s and early-1930s using methods the French introduced. The trees flourished, his grandparents were fairly paid, and in the late-1930s they bought the plantation from the owners and started farming it for themselves.
The first coffee trees on the farm were Arabica Bourbon and Typica, planted and harvested by his grandparents in the late-1920s and early-1930s using methods the French introduced.
Ngọc’s farm sits around 1,500 meters above sea level and is covered in the region’s fertile volcanic soil. Known locally as bazan, the red earth is rich in minerals and provides a balance of nutrients that is perfect for growing premium grade coffee. When Ngọc inherited the farm from his father, he changed its name and established it as the specialty coffee plantation it is today.
Just as his grandparents did, he continues to grow Arabica Bourbon and Typica but in recent years has added Catimor and Catuai varieties that produce a high yield. They are also more resistant to pests and diseases such as coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease.
As harvest time comes towards the end of the year, Ngọc’s farm turns into a hive of activity with temporary workers arriving to help harvest the ripe cherries. For many who come to collect the bright red fruit this is a highlight of the year, an opportunity to catch up with friends and earn some extra money for Tết.
The workers hand-pick the ripe cherries, ensuring only the best quality beans are selected from each tree and leaving the rest to be harvested in the coming days. As they make their way up and down the rows of trees they chatter and laugh amongst themselves, but the work is strenuous and when it’s time for lunch they’re quick to put down their baskets and make their way down the slopes.
Once the beans have been harvested, Ngọc lays them out to process, using wet, honey or natural methods depending on the requirements of his customers. As his beans are premium quality, many of his customers choose wet processing. This method highlights the beans’ unique characteristics, spotlights their distinct flavours, and is why many specialty coffees are wet-processed.
Ngọc also produces Cascara on his farm, made from the dried pulp of coffee cherries once the beans have been removed. Drunk as a tea, Cascara is rich in antioxidants and known for its benefits to the digestive system when brewed as a tea.
Phú made changes to the way he farms his Robusta, and now his beans are among the best in Việt Nam. We use them in our Lacàph Espresso & Phin blends. Thanks to the courage of his convictions, Phú now grows some of the best Robusta in the whole of Việt Nam. It wasn’t all smooth sailing but with hard work and commitment, he eventually achieved his dreams.
Thanks to the courage of his convictions, Phú now grows some of the best Robusta in the whole of Việt Nam
Phú’s story begins as a young child in the mid-1990s when his father decided to move the family to the Central Highlands region of Đăk Nông Province. At the time, the government’s Đổi Mới reforms were supporting coffee farmers, and encouraged by the rising price of coffee beans they left the family home in the North and moved to start a new life as part of the country’s emerging coffee industry.
Whilst growing up on his family’s coffee plantation Phú dreamed of making an impact on the lives of others and set his heart on becoming a teacher. But while his family prospered, the income from the coffee they grew was not enough to pay for his studies, so eventually, he joined his father working on the family farm. Little did he know that in the years that followed his dream would come true, but in a very different way than he imagined as a child.
Phú was a handsome and hardworking young man, and attracted the attention of a local lady. When they married in 2010 his father gave him a coffee garden as a wedding gift. Phú knew from experience that life as a coffee farmer wasn’t easy, but he was determined to provide a secure and stable future for his young family which wasn’t dependent on the fluctuating prices of coffee beans.
There wasn’t space on his farm to plant more coffee trees, and he couldn’t afford to buy another plantation, so he began looking for ways to increase the value of the beans he was already growing.
Phú knew Việt Nam was among the world’s largest exporters of Robusta, but he also realized that these beans were considered an inferior-grade commodity product, used only for instant coffee, and tending to fetch a low price. Changing his trees to Arabica that sold for higher prices wasn't possible, so he decided his best option was to improve the quality of his Robusta.
The first change Phú made to his farm was planting shadow trees which provided shade for his coffee shrubs. The new trees also helped to stabilize water levels on the farm, and improved the quality of his farm’s soil. This was a great help as it meant he didn’t need to spend so much on fertilizers. He also decided to reduce the number of chemical fertilizers he used on his farm, and switched to eco-friendly alternatives that he was able to by cheaply and locally.
After a while, Phú noticed there were many more birds, bees and bats visiting his plantation which helped with the pollination of his coffee plants. He took advantage of this, and started to intercrop by planting durian, pomelo and cashew among his coffee shrubs. With a greater variety of crops, he was able to increase his income when coffee yields were poor or the market price was low.
At first, other local farmers were puzzled and unsupportive of the changes Phú was making. They had been farming coffee the same way for generations and didn’t see a reason to change. But when traders bought their green beans, some years the prices were high, others they were low, and the f
armers were never able to plan ahead or increase their production.
When Phú’s first batch of new beans sold for much more than theirs, they began to pay attention to what he was doing, and soon the quality of their beans started to increase too.
In the years since Phú was given his farm, he has worked hard to improve the quality of his coffee, researching best practices, and applying what he has learned. But more than that, he has shared his ideas with neighboring farmers, helping them to improve the quality of their beans too. As incomes have increased, this has helped develop the infrastructure of his local community and open up opportunities for many.
Not only has he achieved his childhood dream of changing the lives of others, but he has also helped change the perceptions of Vietnamese Robusta that is now valued for its distinct characteristics and rich flavors.
Bích works with local farmers to improve the quality and raise the value of their beans. We use Arabica Catimor beans from her in our Lacàph Filter Blend & Cold Brew.
Bích runs her family’s coffee trading company in Lâm Đồng Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, and provides a valuable link between local coffee farmers and the traders who want to buy their beans. In an industry still dominated by men, Bích has worked hard to prove herself.
Many believe that the mass migration programs of the late 1970s to regions such as Lâm Đồng provided a cornerstone for the development of Vietnam’s fledgeling coffee industry. Her family moved to Lâm Đồng in the late-1970s, relocating from the North as part of the government’s migration policy after the country’s reunification. Many believe that the mass migration programs of the late 1970s to regions such as Lâm Đồng provided a cornerstone for the development of Vietnam’s fledgeling coffee industry.
Bích realized from a young age that one way or another, coffee was going to be her future.
Although the people who farmed and traded coffee were mainly men, Bích saw that women were involved too, especially during harvest time when the hills came alive with the sound of people chatting as they picked the ripe red coffee cherries. But she also noticed that women often worked as hard as their husbands on the farm, particularly when it came to processing the newly harvested beans.
Growing up, Bích had watched the role her mother played in building the family company, especially when it came to tough negotiations over the price of beans. As a young woman, she went to work for a local coffee trading company that sourced, bought, processed and exported Arabica and Robusta beans for domestic and international partners. She visited coffee farms all over Lâm Đồng, Đắk Lắk, Kon Tum and Đăk Nông, learning about each link of the coffee value chain.
Bích learned to focus on the quality of the beans, rather than the quantity being grown, and witnessed the move towards sustainability and farming environmentally. She was part of Vietnam’s first attempts to produce coffee that ranked on the Specialty Coffee Association’s scale, and worked with the farmers who sent their beans to be graded successfully.
Bích learned to focus on the quality of the beans, rather than the quantity being grown, and witnessed the move towards sustainability and farming environmentally.
As Bích’s parents grew older she left the company she was working for to take over the family business. Under her guidance and leadership, the company has gone from strength to strength to become one of the leading coffee traders in the region. She now employs a staff of fifteen, many of whom are women, and spends her days supervising her team, visiting farmers, negotiating deals and balancing the books.
Over the decades Bích has seen the highs and lows of Vietnam’s coffee sector as the country has become a global coffee powerhouse. She believes wholeheartedly in the tremendous potential of Vietnamese coffee, especially as farmers continue to improve the quality of their beans, and supports them in producing the best they can.
Bích is encouraged that the quality of Vietnam’s beans is increasing, and that farmers are realizing that as their beans improve, so too does the price they can sell them for.
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Chuỗi hành trình khám phá Lacàph Lab Series chính thức trở lại với sản phẩm cà phê Robusta Sẻ nguyên trái từ nông trại của Anh Phú lên men với bia Tiramisu Stout của Heart of Darkess.
Quá trình sơ chế mật ong (honey) với sự tham gia thử nghiệm với bia đã đẩy lên những tầng hương vị phức tạp khó lòng thấy rõ ở những hạt Robusta thông thường. Kết quả từ sự kết hợp độc đáo này là một loại cà phê Robusta có vị chua dễ chịu, vị ngọt như sô-cô-la đen và cacao ngòi Việt Nam cùng hương thơm phảng phất như rượu vang và chiết xuất hạnh nhân.
Với Lacàph Lab Series 2, chúng tôi hợp tác cùng Anh Phú, nơi canh tác những loại Robusta chất lượng và ngon nhất Việt Nam cũng là nông hộ đối tác của chúng tôi từ những ngày đầu thành lập công ty.
Đây cũng là lần đầu tiên Anh Phú thử nghiệm lên men cà phê với bia thủ công. Theo anh, đây là một loại bia có hương vị tốt, với mỗi bao cà phê 50kg anh sẽ dùng 1 lon bia sau đó đổ đầy nước vào, cột chặt miệng bao lại và để cà phê len men tự nhiên trong vòng 48 tiếng.
Sau khi lên men, cà phê được mang đi tách vỏ, giữ lại lớp vỏ thóc và mang đi phơi dưới ánh nắng mặt trời đến khi đạt độ ẩm 12-13%. Quá trình phơi cũng được chia làm 2 giai đoạn. Khoảng hai ngày đầu, Anh Phú trải lớp mỏng cho cà phê khô nhanh để kết thúc hoàn toàn quá trình lên men, sau đó vun thành những lớp dày hơn và tiếp tụ phơi trong vòng 12 ngày. Cà phê sau đó được "nghỉ ngơi" trong kho 4 tháng, đến tháng 5/2022 cũng là lúc cà phê đạt đỉnh hương, Anh Phú đã sàng lọc lại bằng tay một lần nữa và gửi về xưởng rang Lacàph Roastery tại Sài Gòn.
Tuy nhiên, không chỉ dừng lại ở việc thử nghiệm trên hạt cà phê Việt Nam, Lacàph còn mong muốn chia sẻ về văn hoá Việt Nam thông qua nghệ thuật khi lần đầu tiên, chúng tôi kết hợp với nghệ sĩ Khim Đặng trong vai trò nghệ sĩ sáng tác hình ảnh chủ đạo cho bộ sản phẩm Lab Series 2.
Khim Đặng đã có thời gian hơn 11 năm học hành về nghệ thuật trước khi thực hành nghệ thuật. Gọi Khim là một nghệ sĩ chế tác, chỉ đạo nghệ thuật hay đơn giản là một người không ngừng tìm hiểu và sáng tác nghệ thuật đều được.
Nội dung là yếu tố quan trọng làm nên sự khác biệt của người nghệ sĩ, và chất liệu cuộc sống, con người, xã hội,… chính là nguồn cảm hứng bản địa vô tận cho các tác phẩm của Khim. Anh xem mỗi tác phẩm của mình như một phần lưu trữ lại những suy nghĩ và ý tưởng được kết hợp tức thời trong quá trình tạo tác. Cũng vì vậy, mà chuỗi tác phẩm và sản phẩm mang dấu ấn của Khim luôn để lại những cột mốc cảm xúc nhất định cho người thưởng thức.
“Chúng ta có ngôn ngữ riêng, có nền văn hoá đặc thù. Chúng ta làm mọi thứ bằng niềm tự hào dòng máu Việt”. Với Khim, đó chính là lợi thế lớn nhất của nghệ sĩ Việt. Vì vậy, cùng nhau, chúng tôi tôn vinh văn hoá cà phê Việt qua tác phẩm “Dòng” mà Khim sáng tác riêng cho Lacàph Lab Series.
Nói về ý nghĩa của cái tên "Dòng", Khim Đặng chia sẻ ý tưởng về "dòng" trong "dòng chảy", thể hiện sự lặp đi lặp lại theo chu kỳ. Tác phẩm “Dòng” giúp lưu trữ và tái hiện dòng chảy của cả quá trình sản xuất cà phê, từ bước canh tác đến khi có thành phẩm để khách hàng thưởng thức. Bộ sản phẩm cà phê cùng bộ sưu tập Lacàph Lab Series 2 tham gia vào “dòng chảy” này như một nét chấm phá mang lại sự mới mẻ cho một quá trình lặp đi lặp lại đã hình thành từ lâu.
Bên cạnh nhãn sản phẩm cà phê, những biểu tượng của tác phẩm sau đó được chúng tôi ứng dụng thiết kế trong bộ sưu tập bao gồm tranh in khổ lớn, áo thun, bưu thiếp, bình giữ nhiệt, khăn Bandana và các sản phẩm đi kèm khác.
Tất cả các sản phẩm được sản xuất với số lượng giới hạn, riêng tranh khổ lớn "Dòng" kích thước 100x100cm sẽ chỉ sản xuất 5 bản và được kí tên, đánh số trực tiếp bởi nghệ sĩ Khim Đặng.
Khám phá và sở hữu bộ sưu tập với những phát hành giới hạn tại đây.
Với dòng sản phẩm đầu tiên thuộc Lacàph Lab Series I, chúng tôi hợp tác với Heart of Darkness Brewery mang đến cho bạn một loại cà phê được lên men với hỗn hợp BiA thủ công all-malt craft lager. Đồng hành cùng sự kết hợp này là Anh Ngọc, người đã nuôi trồng nên những hạt Arabica ngon nhất Việt Nam. Kết quả cho ra một dòng cà phê độc đáo mang hương vị hài hoà và khó phai của vải, mơ và đào.
“Lên men là quá trình tiên quyết trong sản xuất bia. Nồng độ cồn và carbohydrate sẽ quyết định chất lượng của bia, những yếu tố này không chỉ ảnh hưởng đến khả năng say của bạn mà còn quyết định mức độ ngọt, dày hay mỏng của bia. Về mặt hương vị, hoa bia đôi khi là yếu tố mang tính quyết định, nhưng việc sử dụng men bia thủ công của Mỹ hay Bỉ cũng tạo ra những hương vị hoàn toàn khác nhau. Một số loại bia khác như light lagers, cảm quan cũng cho thấy sự khác biệt đến từ loại men. Đôi lúc, hương vị của bia phụ thuộc vào loại men sử dụng, và cũng có khi đó là kết quả của việc kiểm soát các chỉ tiêu sản xuất phải kể đến như lượng oxy, lượng đường và nhiệt độ.“ – Neil Wood, Chuyên gia Sản xuất Bia tại Heart of Darkness.
"Từ xưa, bước lên men trong phương pháp chế biến ướt cà phê được thực hiện với mục đích loại bỏ hoàn toàn phần thịt cà phê còn sót lại. Hiện nay, lên men đang dần trở thành một trong những quy trình then chốt làm nổi bật các đặc tính của cà phê, đồng thời dậy lên những hương vị mới mẻ của cà phê hạt xanh. Tại Lacàph, chúng tôi tin rằng việc nghiên cứu và phát triển kĩ thuật lên men có thể đưa cà phê Việt Nam lên tầm thế giới."– Scott Sehoon Bahng, Giám đốc Sản phẩm và Dịch vụ tại Lacàph.
Chúng tôi muốn gửi lời cám ơn đến Anh Ngọc, một người bạn cũng là đối tác sản xuất dòng sản phẩm đầu tiên thuộc dòng Lab Series. Cùng nhau, chúng tôi đã khám phá ra phương thức sản xuất đặc biệt để làm nổi bật hương vị khi lên men cà phê với bia. Được rang xay những hạt Arabica sơ chế mật ong khác biệt này quả là niềm vinh hạnh của chúng tôi.
Thật tình cờ khi Anh Ngọc cũng là một người yêu thích bia thủ công và đặc biệt yêu thích Heart of Darkness Brewery nên sự kết hợp này cũng mang ý nghĩa đặc biệt với anh. Những quả cà phê đã tách vỏ được ngâm cùng BiA và bắt đầu quá trình lên men tự nhiên trong 36 giờ. Hạt cà phê sau đó hình thành một lớp da đặc biệt, được Anh Ngọc trải đều dưới ánh nắng mặt trời liên tục 15 ngày để đạt đến độ ẩm hoàn hảo và sẵn sàng chuyển đến xưởng rang Lacàph.
Những quả cà phê đã tách vỏ được ngâm cùng BiA và bắt đầu quá trình lên men tự nhiên trong 36 giờ. Hạt cà phê sau đó hình thành một lớp da đặc biệt, được Anh Ngọc phơi đều dưới ánh nắng mặt trời liên tục 15 ngày để đạt đến độ ẩm hoàn hảo và sẵn sàng chuyển đến xưởng rang Lacàph.
Chúng tôi đã tuyển chọn những hạt Arabica chất lượng nhất từ Lâm Đồng để sản xuất ra sản phẩm cà phê hạt rang chưa từng có này.
Sản phẩm được sản xuất giới hạn với 2 lựa chọn: 750 gram cà phê nguyên hạt Lacàph BiA Fermented trong bình inox cao cấp và Cà phê cold brew túi lọc BiA Fermented Coffee Cold Brew Bags tiện lợi. Sau khi thưởng thức cà phê, khách hàng có thể tái sử dụng bình kim loại tại Heart of Darkness Taproom với ưu đãi giảm 30% các loại bia tại đây.
Bạn có thể đặt hàng trước kể từ ngày Quốc tế Bia 6/8. Đây là sản phẩm được phát hành với số lượng giới hạn và không có kế hoạch tái sản xuất. Chúng tôi sẽ liên hệ ngay khi đơn hàng của bạn sẵn sàng được giao.
Phú made changes to the way he farms his Robusta, and now his beans are among the best in Việt Nam. We use them in our Lacàph Espresso & Phin blends. Thanks to the courage of his convictions, Phú now grows some of the best Robusta in the whole of Việt Nam. It wasn’t all smooth sailing but with hard work and commitment, he eventually achieved his dreams.
Thanks to the courage of his convictions, Phú now grows some of the best Robusta in the whole of Việt Nam
Phú’s story begins as a young child in the mid-1990s when his father decided to move the family to the Central Highlands region of Đăk Nông Province. At the time, the government’s Đổi Mới reforms were supporting coffee farmers, and encouraged by the rising price of coffee beans they left the family home in the North and moved to start a new life as part of the country’s emerging coffee industry.
Whilst growing up on his family’s coffee plantation Phú dreamed of making an impact on the lives of others and set his heart on becoming a teacher. But while his family prospered, the income from the coffee they grew was not enough to pay for his studies, so eventually, he joined his father working on the family farm. Little did he know that in the years that followed his dream would come true, but in a very different way than he imagined as a child.
Phú was a handsome and hardworking young man, and attracted the attention of a local lady. When they married in 2010 his father gave him a coffee garden as a wedding gift. Phú knew from experience that life as a coffee farmer wasn’t easy, but he was determined to provide a secure and stable future for his young family which wasn’t dependent on the fluctuating prices of coffee beans.
There wasn’t space on his farm to plant more coffee trees, and he couldn’t afford to buy another plantation, so he began looking for ways to increase the value of the beans he was already growing.
Phú knew Việt Nam was among the world’s largest exporters of Robusta, but he also realized that these beans were considered an inferior-grade commodity product, used only for instant coffee, and tending to fetch a low price. Changing his trees to Arabica that sold for higher prices wasn't possible, so he decided his best option was to improve the quality of his Robusta.
The first change Phú made to his farm was planting shadow trees which provided shade for his coffee shrubs. The new trees also helped to stabilize water levels on the farm, and improved the quality of his farm’s soil. This was a great help as it meant he didn’t need to spend so much on fertilizers. He also decided to reduce the number of chemical fertilizers he used on his farm, and switched to eco-friendly alternatives that he was able to by cheaply and locally.
After a while, Phú noticed there were many more birds, bees and bats visiting his plantation which helped with the pollination of his coffee plants. He took advantage of this, and started to intercrop by planting durian, pomelo and cashew among his coffee shrubs. With a greater variety of crops, he was able to increase his income when coffee yields were poor or the market price was low.
At first, other local farmers were puzzled and unsupportive of the changes Phú was making. They had been farming coffee the same way for generations and didn’t see a reason to change. But when traders bought their green beans, some years the prices were high, others they were low, and the farmers were never able to plan ahead or increase their production.
When Phú’s first batch of new beans sold for much more than theirs, they began to pay attention to what he was doing, and soon the quality of their beans started to increase too.
In the years since Phú was given his farm, he has worked hard to improve the quality of his coffee, researching best practices, and applying what he has learned. But more than that, he has shared his ideas with neighboring farmers, helping them to improve the quality of their beans too. As incomes have increased, this has helped develop the infrastructure of his local community and open up opportunities for many.
Not only has he achieved his childhood dream of changing the lives of others, but he has also helped change the perceptions of Vietnamese Robusta that is now valued for its distinct characteristics and rich flavors.
