Ban Me Flavor - A Hundred Years Still Remains in a Drop of Coffee

Coffee is not only a drink but also the rhythm of life, the memory and the identity of Buon Ma Thuot or affectionately known as Ban Me. In each drop of coffee, people not only find a strong bitter taste, a passionate aroma but also feel a hundred-year-old cultural flow.

In Buon Ma Thuot, coffee is not just a drink. It is a part of the life of the people in the mountain town. People often start their day with a cup of strong black filter coffee, sipping on cigarettes and chatting about everyday life.

Buon Ma Thuot Robusta coffee is characterized by a strong bitter taste, a long sweet aftertaste, a hint of tropical fruit, and a woody scent. Therefore, those who are used to strong caffeine will choose to drink it hot or iced black; those who prefer a more balanced taste - still retaining the bitter taste but adding a little sweetness - will drink milk coffee; and Bac Xiu is for those who like the taste of coffee but are afraid of... getting drunk on coffee.

Along with the integration, Buon Ma Thuot coffee is not only present in small street corners but has stepped out into the world with a different appearance and position - specialty coffee. Robusta beans are meticulously processed according to a strict quality control process and are roasted and brewed in espresso style, creating a thick crema layer and strong flavor, completely different from the gentle flavor of Arabica. In specialty coffee shops, Buon Ma Thuot Robusta is brewed pour-over, syphon... to highlight new layers of flavor: a hint of chocolate, almonds, a bit of pine wood, sometimes the flavor of dried fruit, tropical fruit...

Tourists learn about the coffee processing process at a farm in Dak Lak .

In particular, cold brew - coffee steeped in cold water for many hours opens up a very different Buon Ma Thuot flavor: cooler, less bitter but still long-lasting, leaving a fresh aftertaste for the drinker. Or a cup of latte art (art created on the surface of a cup of coffee) with beautiful drawings, creating a cup of coffee that attracts diners. Young people find there a new, gentle experience, far from the "heavy" of traditional filter coffee.

Barista Truong Thi Thien - the champion of the phin brewing competition of the Vietnam Amazing Brewing Master 2023 shared that to have a delicious, well-rounded cup of coffee requires many factors from green beans, roasting, preservation and standard brewing. A cup of pure coffee is not dark black and thick, but has a cockroach-brown color, is liquid and has a light aroma. When drinking, it does not have a strong bitter taste and leaves a sweet aftertaste... For Buon Ma Thuot people, their drinking taste is often stronger than other places, so when they come to the shop, they often use phin-brewed coffee or espresso. Milder types (less caffeine) are usually for tourists from other places.

The history of Buon Ma Thuot coffee began more than a century ago, when the first Robusta trees were brought by the French to the red basalt land. The fertile soil and highland climate created a “golden” land for this coffee variety to grow and bring with it distinct flavors that no other land has.

Over the past century, Buon Ma Thuot coffee has accompanied many generations. As the world changes, Buon Ma Thuot coffee does not stand still. Coffee farms in Dak Lak have begun the journey of recreating value. If in the past coffee was mainly mass produced for raw export, now many farms have focused on the specialty coffee segment.

Foreign tourists come to experience the coffee garden of Aeroco Coffee Farm.

New processing methods such as honey, natural, semi-washed are applied to diversify flavors. Robusta beans, which are famous for their strong flavor, are now softer, with many layers of rich and deep flavors. International certificates such as Organic, Fair Trade, RFA or UTZ, 4C are of interest to affirm their position in the global market.

At the same time, the story of tracing the origin and developing coffee tourism is also opening up a new direction. Tourists not only drink coffee but also go to the farms, visit the growing - picking - processing process, listen to the stories from the farmers themselves. Thereby, Buon Ma Thuot coffee is not only sold by beans but also by experience, by coffee cultural heritage.

This transformation is associated with the third wave of coffee - a movement that celebrates coffee as a cultural experience. Consumers are interested in the story behind the coffee bean: which farm the coffee comes from, how it is grown, what processing method, who takes care of it... And in that flow, Buon Ma Thuot has created a special position: a place where Robusta is being "redefined" as a specialty coffee, no longer a low-end coffee as long-standing prejudice of world consumers. And carrying with it the aspiration to make Buon Ma Thuot a destination for world coffee.

Over the past century, Buon Ma Thuot coffee has accompanied many generations. As the world changes, Buon Ma Thuot coffee does not stand still. And in that flow, Robusta is being "redefined" as a specialty coffee, no longer a low-grade coffee as long-standing prejudice of world consumers.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/tin-noi-bat/202508/huong-vi-ban-me-tram-nam-con-dong-trong-giot-ca-phe-15d0306/