Discussing the "religion" of coffee

Mr. Le Van Vuong sets up a coffee party in the garden. Photo: TRAN TRIEU

Coffee also has its own "morality"

Coming to coffee, each person has a different approach. Some are simple and superficial, others are elaborate and serious. For those who are “crazy in love”, even “worship” the value of coffee, they establish their own way of producing and enjoying it. Therefore, for a long time, many people have asked the question: Does coffee have its own “way”? What is the “way of coffee”?

For nearly 10 years, Mr. Le Van Vuong - Director of Vuong Thanh Cong Company has been known in the Vietnamese coffee world as a person who "pursues the dream of organic coffee to the end". Tourists coming to Buon Ma Thuot are often taken by local authorities to visit his organic coffee production model. Making organic coffee is many times more difficult than conventional production, and the economic efficiency is not high, but he still does not give up despite facing many difficulties.

“The coffee giants here do not dare to risk making organic coffee, because it is very elaborate, difficult and the product is not easy to sell because the price is 4-5 times higher than conventional products. The biggest capital for me to pursue organic coffee to the end is the in-depth knowledge that I have seriously learned over a long period of time. I have learned so much about it that I can clearly see that if I do it, I will succeed,” said the man born in 1984.

Currently, the fact that Vuong Thanh Cong organic coffee is exported to Japan is a guarantee that what he has done is real and successful. Not stopping there, he is the one who created tea from coffee flowers, wine from ripe coffee peels. In particular, he has researched coffee beer and is also the first person to make freeze-dried coffee in Dak Lak.

Thus, it can be said that Mr. Vuong is a person who understands and is passionate enough about coffee to allow himself to elevate his love and respect for coffee to the level of "religion".

Good coffee not for the crowd?

According to Mr. Vuong, a person who approaches the “religion” of coffee, first of all needs to have a deep understanding of it. Of course, the coffee mentioned here is organic coffee (grown and harvested completely naturally). In this scope, coffee has 13 basic stages and 21 detailed stages.

Mr. Le Van Vuong felt "millions of fragrant bags bursting open" when roasting coffee. Photo: TRAN TRIEU

With coffee, the first thing to do is to choose the variety. In Vuong’s own opinion, the person who really puts coffee in his “sacred temple”, only pure Arabica or Robusta varieties are used, not hybrid varieties.

Robusta is mainly grown in Dak Lak because it is suitable for the soil. Expert Vuong chooses pure Robusta to enjoy, which he often calls "Ro Se". Ro Se is grown by him with strict organic standards.

Coffee “religionists” are also very careful when harvesting: choosing ripe berries, and handling them carefully when picking (do not drop them on a tarp, avoid stepping on the coffee berries). Old green coffee berries have the same caffeine as ripe red berries, but why wait until they are ripe before picking?

Because only when ripe, coffee berries have enough aroma, full flavor and nutrients. People may be surprised to see organic coffee growers carefully drying coffee instead of drying. Because, in sunlight, there are ultraviolet rays that help sterilize coffee berries. After drying, it is time to sift and roast. When roasting, you must know what the flavor is like, what substances are left in it. Especially, when it comes to grinding, people who are "wise" about coffee will understand and feel the moment when "millions of aromatic bags burst", very emotional.

The enjoyment stage also requires attention to the method. Using a traditional filter or a machine to make coffee is still controversial with some coffee users. Filter brewing produces 60% caffeine, while machine brewing can extract up to 95% caffeine. Each method has its own logic, so coffee artisans accept the solution "either way is fine, depending on preference, but machine brewing is recommended".

You may not believe it, but those who elevate coffee to the level of “religion” can smell the aroma of ripe fruit that remains after brewing, drying, and roasting. They can also feel the “millions of fragrant bags that have burst”, and whether the water used to brew is clean or not. Therefore, it is obvious that they can clearly feel the basic flavors and aromas of Arabica or Robusta. That is why “religious” coffee drinkers do not use sugar when drinking. They want to fully enjoy the essence of this “gift from heaven and earth” flavor.

A cup of coffee is considered delicious when the person enjoying it is in a healthy state both physically and mentally. Before “drinking real coffee”, one must abstain from alcohol for 3 days. Tea ceremony takes place after a satisfying meal, and the tea ceremony is even held after the drinking ceremony. But coffee requires more, one must abstain from all these things, isn’t the “way” of coffee more strict than the way of tea?

Looking up at the vast expanse of coffee plantations in full bloom, artisan Vuong boldly asserted: “Truly good coffee is definitely not for the boisterous crowd. Although the spirit of coffee is excitement and stimulates creativity, its depth is contemplation, not noise.

Perhaps, therefore, coffee alone is the most beautiful state of coffee. If you need more friends? Maybe just 1 or 2 more confidants are enough. Above all, the person who “enlightens” coffee is the one who enjoys a sip of coffee, feeling the whole extremely elaborate and hard-working production process of the person who makes it with a grateful mind.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/ban-ve-dao-ca-phe-3150738.html