Coffee is the world's most traded commodity after oil

Over 2.25 billion cups are consumed daily worldwide. Behind each cup is a centuries-old story of trade routes, colonial history, cultural ritual, and the labor of millions of farmers — many of them in Vietnam's misty highlands.

2.25B
Cups consumed daily, worldwide
#2
Vietnam's rank as global coffee exporter
30+
Countries with unique coffee cultures
1857
Year coffee arrived in Vietnam
Featured Story
Vietnam

How a French Experiment Became Southeast Asia's Defining Drink

In 1857, French missionaries brought Arabica coffee seedlings to northern Vietnam. What followed was an accidental revolution. By the 20th century, Vietnam had become the world's second-largest coffee producer — built on Robusta beans grown in the Central Highlands, filtered through a tiny aluminum phin, and served over ice with sweetened condensed milk.

Today, Vietnam exports over 1.8 million tonnes of coffee annually. Yet outside of Southeast Asia, its coffee story remains largely untold. Until now.

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Everything Coffee, From Every Angle

Deep dives into history, culture, and craft — told with the richness they deserve.

Deep Dive

Vietnamese Coffee

Phin filters, egg coffee, and the world's best iced milk coffee
Origins

Coffee History

From Ethiopian goat herders to global commodity in 600 years
Global

World Coffee

30+ countries, each with its own coffee story to tell
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Phin to pour-over — master every technique
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Vietnamese Coffee

Cà Phê Trứng: How Hanoi Invented Egg Coffee During a Milk Shortage

In 1946, milk was scarce in Hanoi. A bartender at the Sofitel Metropole had an idea — whip egg yolks with sugar and fold them into coffee. The result became a Hanoi institution that survives today.

Vietnamese Coffee 7 min read
Origins

Ethiopia: Where Every Coffee in Your Cup Was Born

The Kaffa region of southwestern Ethiopia is the genetic birthplace of Coffea arabica. The word "coffee" itself likely comes from "Kaffa." Here, coffee is not a morning ritual — it is a three-hour ceremony of belonging.

Coffee History 9 min read
Brewing

The Vietnamese Phin Filter: The World's Most Meditative Brewing Method

No electricity. No paper filters. Just a tiny aluminum dripper, coarsely ground Robusta, and five minutes of patience. The phin produces coffee that is intensely dark, sweet, and perfectly adapted to Vietnamese climate.

Brewing Methods 5 min read
Vietnamese Coffee

Buôn Ma Thuột: The Coffee Capital of Vietnam

In the Central Highlands of Đắk Lắk province, the city of Buôn Ma Thuột produces more coffee per square kilometer than almost anywhere on earth. This is where Vietnam's coffee story lives.

Coffee Culture 8 min read
History

Ottoman Coffee Houses: Where Coffee Became Culture

In 15th-century Istanbul, qahveh khaneh — coffee houses — became the world's first public social spaces for discussion, debate, and chess. They were so influential that sultans briefly banned them, fearing rebellion brewed over coffee.

Coffee History 10 min read
World Coffee

Why Colombian Coffee Became the World's Most Famous Brand

Juan Valdez was invented by an ad agency in 1958. But behind the marketing myth is one of the world's most sophisticated coffee industries — small family farms, diverse microclimates, and decades of consistent quality.

World Coffee 6 min read