Vietnam Natural Arabica Coffee: What Types Are There?: The cup of Arabica coffee you are drinking may come from somewhere far away, or it may also be the essence drawn from familiar lands in Vietnam. Many interesting things behind the world’s 4 popular Arabica coffee varieties being grown in the country with nearly 90% of the land area planted with Robusta coffee are waiting for you to discover.
How many types of Arabica coffee are grown in Vietnam?
Compared to other coffee varieties, although Arabica is highly appreciated for its flavor and economic value, it is a difficult plant to cultivate, has poor resistance, requires a lot of technique, and is a cold-loving plant. Grows well at temperatures of about 18 – 24°C, altitudes of about 1000 – 1500m above sea level). Vietnam is not a land with ideal soil for this coffee variety, however there are still 4 famous types of Arabica coffee grown in Vietnam including: Bourbon, Typica, Mocha and Catimor.
Typica
Typica as a name accompanies the development history of coffee, especially in the early stages. For coffee connoisseurs, Typica is the standard for every measure of coffee quality, and more interestingly, people often debate the good and bad of coffees based on the taste of Typica.
Due to genetic characteristics, Typica coffee beans contain a lot of malic acid for an apple-like sour taste, plus a sweet and mild bitter taste – all creating a harmonious whole with an ecstatic and seductive aroma. Only Typica has it.
Compared to Bourbon, Typica’s fruit is longer and more eye-catching. The tree only grows at altitudes of 1500m or higher and is difficult to grow because of its poor resistance to pests and diseases, requiring extremely favorable climate and soil conditions. Because of these characteristics, the yield of Typica is very low, plus the care and conservation techniques are quite complicated, so this plant variety is very rare and precious (especially pure Typica varieties). The selling price of Typica coffee is usually quite high.
Helena’s Vietnamese Arabica Green Coffee Beans
Have grown at altitudes above 1200 MASL and from the most prevalent varieties of coffee grown in Vietnam’s renowned producing regions Lam Dong, Quang Tri, and Son La growing Arabica coffee varieties such as Catimor, Caturra, Typica, Bourbon…etc.
Bourbon
Bourbon has a sweet, pleasantly sour flavor with a variety of flavors such as vanilla, caramel, apple, pear, oak, cedar, malt… That’s why the flavor of Bourbon is considered delicate and delicate. different, can lead in the coffee world.
Bourbon is a natural variant of Typica and one of the world’s most culturally and genetically important coffee varieties. The name Bourbon originates from the name of a French island – where French missionaries brought seeds from Yemen to plant. In 1875, the French first brought this type of coffee to Vietnam for cultivation.
Bourbon coffee cherries are round, red, yellow and sometimes orange. The leaves are green or copper-yellow in color, and small branches grow in a cone shape, tilted 60° compared to the main stem. Bourbon grows best at altitudes from 1000m – 2000m. Although the quality of coffee is highly appreciated, this variety is very susceptible to pests and diseases and has poor resistance.
Mocha
Many beautiful words are used to describe the flavor of a cup of coffee made from Mocha beans. In Vietnam, Mocha coffee trees are grown very little, mainly concentrated in Cau Dat region (Lam Dong). With a lot of rain, suitable altitude and especially red basalt soil, Mocha seeds here have a sour fruit taste, combined with a gentle bitter taste, not too harsh, and a moderate fatty taste, creating a masterpiece that no one can compare. Any coffee lover will be satisfied.
Mocha or Moka is a dwarf mutation of Bourbon. The name of this coffee variety is named after a port in Yemen – the place known as the cradle of Arabica coffee development. Like its two brothers, Mocha is a difficult tree to grow, has low yields and only grows at altitudes of 1500m or higher.
The tree’s trunk is light gray and somewhat more fragile than other varieties due to many characteristics that are difficult to care for. When it begins to ripen, Mocha fruit changes from light green to tomato red or dark red. Compared to other coffee beans, Mocha beans are round and small, not long and flat.
Catimor
Catimor is the “youngest brother” in the Arabica family and is also the coffee variety with the strongest vitality. Crossed between Timor and Caturra coffee varieties (Timor is bred from Arabica and Robusta coffee), Catimor possesses outstanding growth characteristics with good resistance to pests and diseases. Not only that, the flavor of Catimor is also perfectly balanced between the sour taste of the Timor variety and the sweetness of Caturra, not too bitter like pure Robusta but rich enough to seduce the taster.
This coffee variety usually grows optimally at altitudes of 700 – 1000m, often producing high yields with delicious coffee quality. Therefore, Catimor is widely grown in Vietnam, including some popular types as follows:
Catimor T-8667: the trunk is quite short but produces very large fruits and seeds.
Catimor T-5269: is a healthy coffee variety that adapts and grows well at altitudes from 600 – 900m above sea level and rainfall of more than 3000mm per year.
Catimor T-5175: is a coffee variety with very high yields, but cannot adapt to growing conditions in places that are too low or too high.
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