@Ensoluna, and Mr. Peaberry, this is very ridiculous, you see. Vietnam don't grow chicory; that's why they use soyabeans. Although Vietnam is the world's second biggest coffee producer, not many real coffees are being consumed by local coffee drinkers. I am a native Vietnamese. And usually I shouldn't mention this here. But I think that you should read this article first to see the situation:
'Coffee' makers use chemicals, soy beans, corn, no real coffee says a ThanhnienNews - a Vietnamese famous news paper.
Basically saying:
- Fake Vietnamese coffee contains 100% burnt soyabeans (or corns - now soyabeans are more popular); caramel; bitter agent; foaming agents; artificial coffee flavors and some other chemicals. The reason which soyabeans/ corns are roasted into burnt beans (burnt roast - not dark roast or superdark roast) is to get rid of natural flavor of soya. It finally has no soya flavor and generates bitter taste. Caramel is to make a mouthfeel of thichness and helps to prevent coffee liquid from dropping too fast. That's why time for brewing fake coffee with Vietnamese dripper takes too long.
- Fake Vietnamese coffee might start from the hard time in the past. But I think the percentage of soya/corn at the beginning was around 10% to 20% and the rest were real coffee. However, that is the past. Today, fake coffee is 100% soya beans. There are several fake brands with coffee ranging from 10% to 40% of real coffee inside.
- I would prefer not listing out all of fake coffee brands here as in somewhat it is very sensitive. But I can guarantee you that not many coffee brands in Vietnam produce 100% real coffee even you buy it from a city of growing coffee trees. There are several coffee brands those who produce both real and fake coffee. But their production for real coffee is very small.
- Many local Vietnamese coffee drinkers have been drunk fake coffee long enough for them to distinguish real coffee. And it is very humorous that they love and get addicted to the taste of fake coffee. When you introduce them real coffee, they will say no and tell you that you are selling fake coffee. OMG! Just consider my case. Last year I sent 2 kg of 100% real coffee to my friend in the North of Vietnam. She then promoted this real coffee to her relatives as 100% real coffee as gifts. After enjoying this real coffee, her relatives told her that she had bought fake coffee. As she believed me, she tried to convince them. But finally, she failed.
The reasons?
- In my observations, there are three main problems which cause fake coffees in Vietnam:
- Cheap prices and high profits: Fake coffee has very low prices. The most popular and cheapest retail price is at around $2.0/ kilogram (or 40,000 VND). However, some can make it at $1.5/ kilogram. They will sell it at $4 or $5 or even more. It depends on different areas and different shops.
- The close and complicated relationship between coffee shop owners and fake coffee companies. Most coffee shops in Vietnam are family-owned and family-operated. The owners and fake coffee companies often have complicated credit relationship. Let's say, when you open a coffee shop, the rep of fake coffee companies will come to persuade to buy coffee (of course they will not tell you this is fake, you see) and offer a lot of beneficial supports. For example, if you buy their coffee, they will support you coffee tables, TV, glass, umbrellas, etc. You see, this is like an investment.
- Severe corruption. Of course, a local govermental officer can distinguish real coffee and fake coffee. It is very simple. He or she comes to the roasting sites and check. Ohh, you produce coffee? Why is there so many soya beans here? But most of the case (if I don't want to say 100% cases), they will "eat" money and go!
The market share of fake coffee?
It is difficult to have a correct figure. However, with my assumption, Ho Chi Minh city in particular has from 200 to 300 fake coffee brands in which the most dominant ones are around 50 brands. Vietnam as a whole has around 1,000 to 1,200 fake coffee brands (my assumptions). I know a brand which sell around 300 MT (in words: three hundred ton or 300 x 1,000 kgs = 300,000 kgs) per month in several districts of Ho Chi Minh and several provinces in Mekong Delta. For brands of 1 or 2 metric tons per day are many. Also, I know a brand which roasts 10 metric tons of soyabeans for every two days. Many of them are very rich and are driving luxurious cars.
Many fake coffee brands in Ho Chi Minh distribute to agents across the country. They sell nationwide and are having noticeable growth in the North when the Northerners are changing their habits from drinking tea to coffee. In rural provinces themself, there are many fake coffee brands there. They are native and often cover two or three provinces only.
Definitely, you are probably drunk fake coffees in any coffee shops in Vietnam. Last year, when I had a meeting with a foreign customer at Park Royal Hotel Saigon (4 stars), the Vietnamese Iced Coffee we drunk at that time was fake coffee.
And now, companies even export fake coffee... to Cambodia and China.
This news will tell you in more details: "
Four arrested in raid targeting fake coffee", says Phnom Penh Post. For Khmer coffee lovers, please accept my apologies
.
I know several local fake coffee brands which export 1 or 2 metric tons of fake coffee per day to Cambodia illegally.
The solutions?
- Prevention is better than cure. It is not 100% coffee sold in Vietnam is fake coffee. But, please be aware of it. Or ask me!
- Finally, I am looking for your suggestion/ideas on how to help local coffee drinkers to recognize coffee at an ease. Please help me!
Images:
I would intend to paste some images here. But i think it would affect your passion on coffee. Therefore, if you would like to see the real pictures of fake coffee productions, just search those following keywords on Google and select Goole\\ Image.
