Brian Hockenhull, who runs Buckley’s Yard Coffee Shop at 2 New Street, Uppermill, talks about the world of coffee and introduces you to their Coffee of the Month.
Visit Buckley’s Yard at New Street, Uppermill or phone Brian on 07973 155030 or email buckleysyarduppermill@gmail.com
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THIS MONTH we take a look at Vietnam and what is happening with regards to coffee production in this country, but first of all, a little learning…
Broadly speaking, there are two main species of coffee:
• Arabica coffee can really only be cultivated in the Tropics and is highly regarded – more than 60 per cent of coffee cultivated worldwide is Arabica.
• Robusta beans can be cultivated further afield and are seen generally as of a lower quality. Robusta strains contain about 40 to 50 per cent more caffeine so are used as a cheap substitute in many instant coffee blends and those horribly bitter coffees served in cafes.
Today, Vietnam is the world’s second largest coffee exporter – its market share jumped from 0.1 per cent to 20 per cent in just 30 years – but this rapid change has really affected the country.
The industry now employs about 2.6 million people, with beans grown on half a million smallholdings. This has helped transform the economy and some multinational companies, like Nestle and Kraft Foods, have processing plants in Vietnam.
Vietnam exports coffee beans to more than 70 countries all over the world – did you know that about a quarter of coffee drunk in the UK comes from Vietnam?
Success comes at a shocking price, however. WWF estimates that 40,000 square miles of forest have been cut down to make space for more coffee. That’s FIVE times the area of Wales.
Experts say much of the land used for coffee cultivation is being over-farmed and steadily exhausted – some say the bubble will burst in about six years. So, as you drink a cup of instant coffee, say “Good Morning Vietnam’ and spare a thought to what could happen there by the end of the decade.
Trung Nguyen Sang Tao #1
Deep in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, Dak Lak Province is the gateway to a mysterious, captivating area, complete with waterfalls, wild elephants and local tribes.
Trung Nguyen, who are based there, are Vietnam’s most successful coffee company, introducing modern coffee franchises to the country in the late nineties, with an astounding 1,000 cafes across South East Asia today and plans to introduce a further 1,000 into Europe over the next few years.
Sang Tao (Creation) #1 is one of Vietnam’s heirloom high quality Robusta coffees. This coffee is raised in a perfect climate, picked in multiple sessions, and sun-dried for up to 100 days to achieve full ripeness and wonderful tones.
Sang Tao #1 fills the room with a superior aroma of coffee and a distinct toastiness from the roast adding deep chocolate notes to the elixir, which originates from the long ripening process.
It’s hard to brew this coffee too strong but it does have about 40 per cent more caffeine than Arabica coffees. It’s dark, strong, full-bodied smoky and bittersweet and can stand up to plenty of milk and sugar.
The base coffee can be brewed as a filter coffee or even a simple press pot with condensed milk added to your taste.
For dramatic effect, serve it in a clear glass mug: the resulting caffeinated kaleidoscope can be as hypnotic as it is delicious, great for something different after dinner. Vietnamese coffee is also a particularly excellent choice for iced coffee.
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