Is Vietnamese coffee culture originated from France? Vietnam has its own unique way of enjoying coffee, making international tourists curious and wanting to learn more. We all know that France introduced coffee to their country, but is this the origin of coffee culture in the S-shaped land? Let’s find out in this article with 1300’s.
Vietnamese people enjoy brewing coffee with a filter, when hot water passes through the coffee grounds, each drop of dark coffee slowly drips down, creating a peaceful feeling. We patiently wait, bit by bit, the coffee cup not only contains the addictive bitterness of coffee but also the crystallization of anticipation.
Vietnamese people often use Robusta coffee beans with a relatively high caffeine content, roasted to the point of almost burning, at high temperatures that cause the coffee to release oil and come close to burning. That’s why coffee has a bitter taste, combined with the sweet richness of condensed milk, creating a mix of bitterness and sweetness, just like each person’s life.
We slowly savor a cup of coffee, taking a sip of the initial bitterness on the tongue and letting it slide down the throat. Each sip of coffee is a story shared with a friend, a companion.
The simple coffee cup, easily found for sale at sidewalk stalls, has nothing more than a set of basic plastic chairs and tables, yet it is loved by many. People return to their primitive appearance, without wearing a heavy, formal mask, free to be themselves beside a cup of bitter and fragrant coffee.
Is Vietnamese Coffee Culture Originated From France
Before the French colonizers invaded, the basic drink of the Vietnamese people was vối water in the North or green tea in the South. From the late 19th century, the French built European-style cities like Saigon or Hanoi with schools, hospitals, trains, and factories.
Coffee trees were first introduced to Vietnam by French missionaries (Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris – Paris Foreign Missions Society) in 1857, but the first coffee plantations were only established in 1888 in the provinces of Ninh Binh and Quang Binh. Around the 1920s, the French decided to expand the scale by planting coffee in the Central Highlands, mainly in Dak Lak province. Vietnam’s coffee export production reached about 1,500 tons in 1930.
Because of these reasons, the French perspective on bringing coffee to Vietnam becomes trustworthy and popular. We all believe that the French taught the Vietnamese how to grow, brew, and drink coffee. However, the Vietnamese way of brewing with a filter is different from the French way of brewing with a French press.
No matter where it originates from, the coffee filter has become familiar and irreplaceable in the cultural life of the Vietnamese people. Hopefully, the above article from the 1300s has somewhat provided you with an answer to “Is Vietnamese Coffee Culture Originated From France”
