A Taste of Vietnam

“It’s a coffee that packs a punch,” says Chris Hires when I ask him how he would explain Vietnamese coffee to the uninitiated. An avid coffee drinker, Chris got his first taste of the good stuff when he and his partner, Nathan Ha, were visiting Nathan’s home country of Vietnam four years ago.

A long transcontinental flight behind them, Chris was desperate for a caffeine kick when Nathan’s mother served traditional Vietnamese espresso. Immediately intrigued (and perhaps immediately alert), Chris became an instant convert to the rich and robust liquid. Call it a light bulb moment, love at first sip or perhaps just a serious jolt of caffeine, and soon the pair was concocting a plan for how to bring the joy of Vietnamese coffee to Columbus. And thankfully for us, they didn’t just stop there—they spent this past year serving up Vietnamese tea alongside coffee at our favorite farmers markets across town.

If you’re new to the Vietnamese style of either beverage, just as I was, one conversation with Chris and Nathan and their unparalleled enthusiasm and appreciation for the country and its offerings just might have you rethinking your morning cup.

Just as wine from Napa Valley tastes different from the same varietal produced in France, the region of origin determines the flavor characteristics of tea and coffee, too.

Chris and Nathan import their tea from the Lào Cai province, a remote northern part of Vietnam with majestic mountains and the country’s most ancient tea trees, some of which have evolved into their own unique subspecies. Since Vietnam’s climate is no stranger to heavy rains, this translates to a pure, clean, thirst-quenching tea. “Almost like tasting the ocean,” Chris explains.

The higher elevations in Vietnam also yield excellent Arabica beans, which showcase a fruity and light flavor profile. Although Robusta beans typically produce a larger crop, craft coffee movements in Vietnam and beyond are driving the popularity of Arabica beans.

THE BEST PAIRING: GOOD CONVERSATION

Unlike tea rituals in some other cultures, sharing tea in Vietnam is a more relaxed experience, where the value is placed not on formality but rather the shared connection and conversation. I learned from Nathan that sharing tea in Vietnam can be as simple as pulling some fresh leaves from a nearby tea tree and sipping a pot together in the garden.

When I asked about their recommendations, Chris and Nathan were so open and generous with their tea knowledge that I could imagine how easygoing the experience of sharing a cup with them would be. In their current lineup, they have strong favorites, particularly their black lotus and oolong teas.

The black lotus tea has the strength typical of a black tea but is balanced with the floral sweetness of the lotus flower. “So sweet that you don’t need any sweetener,” Chris says. So popular is this tea among their customers that they can barely keep it in stock. For an all-day sipper, reach for the creamy and light oolong tea, which imparts a nice vegetal flavor. These leaves are so potent that they can be steeped multiple times, too, allowing for two or three pots of tea from one serving.

As for coffee, their current selection includes a whiskey-barrel-aged Vietnamese Arabica—which is delightfully bitter like a rich, deep stout—with two more options currently on the way.

IT'S ALL IN THE PREP

For those new to preparing Vietnamese-style beverages, the process is just as easy as your regular cup at home.

Tea drinkers can achieve the perfect cup by giving the loose leaves enough space to bloom and impart their flavors. The amount of tea to use per cup is a personal preference, so while they have recommendations, you can also play around with quantities to achieve the taste you like. Either way, brewing becomes a fun and dynamic process.

For coffee, skip the paper filters and opt for phin filters, stovetop espresso makers or French presses, which work best to preserve flavor in its truest sense. If you love a cold brew, you can swap out your regular coffee for a Vietnamese-style option to create a delicious and robust treat.

Can’t decide on what to make? Just do as the Vietnamese do. It’s customary to drink coffee just in the morning, Nathan explains, but tea is meant to be sipped, savored and shared throughout the day. So grab a friend and make Vietnam your next culinary stop right here in Columbus.

• Find their entire selection online at vietespressoandtea.com. Every purchase supports 1% for the Planet. For new happenings, sign up online for their newsletter.