Vietnam Da Lat green coffee beans are honey processed Robusta grown by a select group of smallholder farms in Lam Dong Province, in the central highlands above Da Lat. The trees sit between 900 and 1,200 meters in volcanic soil, which is unusually high ground for Robusta, and only red ripe cherries go into this lot.

This coffee ships unroasted in 1 lb, 3 lb and 5 lb bags from our roastery in Concord, CA. We buy it for our own production and sell green out of the same lot, so what lands on your doorstep is what goes into our drum.

What Vietnam Da Lat Green Coffee Beans Taste Like

The processing is what sets these Vietnam Da Lat green coffee beans apart. Cherries are floated to pull out defects, then pulped with as much mucilage as possible left clinging to the parchment. Drying happens on raised beds inside a greenhouse, where airflow keeps it even. All that sugar sitting on the seed pushes the cup toward honey sweetness instead of the flat, woody profile most commodity Robusta gives you.

In the cup it reads nutty and sweet, with a grainy edge and a clean finish. The body is heavy and the Robusta character is still clearly there. It is not pretending to be Arabica. It is a well made Robusta that happens to be sweet, and it earns its place in an espresso blend.

• Region: Lam Dong Province, central highlands, Vietnam
• Altitude: 900 to 1,200 meters
• Process: Honey, dried on raised beds under greenhouse cover
• Grade: SHG, strictly high grown
• Variety: Robusta
• Cup notes: Nutty, sweet honey, grainy, clean
• Body: Heavy, with Robusta character present
• Best for: Espresso blends, crema, anyone curious about what good Robusta can do

How to Roast Vietnam Da Lat Green Coffee Beans

Robusta seeds are smaller and rounder than Arabica, and they carry less sugar and oil. They also sit lower on the density scale than a hard bean Central American, so heat moves in faster and the margin for error at the back end is thinner. Roasting Vietnam Da Lat green coffee beans is mostly a matter of easing off the gas rather than pushing.

Start about 25 degrees below your normal charge temperature and keep the drying phase gentle. Honey processed coffee leaves sticky residue and extra chaff in the drum, and a hot charge scorches the surface before the center catches up. Three levels worth trying:

1. City, around 410 to 415 F. Drop right after first crack finishes rolling. This is where the honey sweetness and the light fruit acidity are most obvious. Best as a single origin brew if you want to taste what the process did.
2. Full City, around 426 to 432 F. Take it to the end of first crack and hold before second. Sweetness turns toward dark chocolate and caramel, body gets thick, and this is the sweet spot for an espresso base.
3. Full City Plus, into the first snaps of second crack. Use this only as a blend component for crema and punch. Do not carry it further. Robusta turns rubbery and ashy fast once second crack gets rolling, much faster than Arabica does.

If you are still working out where you like your roasts to land, our guide to choosing the perfect roast walks through the levels with less jargon.

Weight Loss and Yield

Green coffee loses moisture and organic matter in the drum. Expect 15 to 18 percent shrinkage, so a pound of Vietnam Da Lat green coffee beans comes out at roughly 13 to 13.5 ounces. Lighter roasts land at the top of that range, darker roasts at the bottom.

Storing Green Coffee

Keep Vietnam Da Lat green coffee beans cool, dry, dark and breathing. The bag it ships in works fine, or move it to a paper sack or a bin with a loose lid. Stored that way it holds for a year or more. Do not vacuum seal it and do not freeze it. Both trap or shift moisture in ways that wreck the seed. A closet shelf away from the stove is all it takes.

Shipping and Local Pickup

Orders ship from Concord, CA, in the East Bay. Local roasters can pick up at the shop and skip shipping entirely. See the rest of what is on the shelf on our green coffee page, and find hours on our Concord roastery page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this really Robusta?

Yes. These Vietnam Da Lat green coffee beans are Robusta grown high, picked ripe and honey processed, which is rare. That care is why it does not taste like grocery store Robusta.

How much caffeine does it have?

Robusta generally runs close to double the caffeine of Arabica. That is part of why it works so well as a small percentage of an espresso blend.

Can I roast this in an air roaster?

Yes. Smaller seeds move easily in a fluid bed. Cut your batch size slightly and watch for a fast first crack.

What should I blend it with?

A washed Central like our Colombia Supremo at 80 percent with 20 percent of this gives you sweetness and structure without losing clarity.

Where does this sit in Vietnamese coffee?

Vietnam is the largest Robusta producer in the world, though almost none of it is honey processed. For background, see coffee production in Vietnam.