08/01/2024
Chapter 1. A cup of love & pride.
"He is the inspiration for our journey and the artisan behind our specialty black coffee." - Phincàfe Langkawi
Mr.Toi was born in 70s. In his time, people started to prefer working in a factory with a monthly salary than do farming. After over 10 years of working in the city, Mr.Toi has realized that he wanted to find freedom. Not money, not convenience, his ideal of life is free and healthy. His parent a farmer, knows about farming. The only way for him to be free is by going back and becoming a farmer.
He started farming coffee around 2010. I met him in early 2019. We sat down in his house. He told me about the challenge of producing high-quality Robusta beans. During that time, most Vietnamese people still thought Robusta was cheap and low quality. “They look at it just as a resource of caffeine for commercial products. People rarely believe Robusta can be as refined and elegant as Arabica. But I do not doubt how great Robusta bean can be”, said Mr.Toi.
On that day, I tried my first cup of Fine Robusta. It was full of flavors and had a unique aroma, the first taste was salty, spicy, and just a little bit sour, a very light touch of bitter, and a long, long, long sweet aftertaste. I imagined myself lying under a tree, touching the ground and smelling the soil after rain. I was amazed, energized, and satisfied.
The aftertaste stayed with me for hours, as well as his stories. Mr.Toi decided to be a farmer, and he was proud of it. He loves the motherland and wants to bring out the best of it. He has kept trying to understand the soil and the ecosystem of the Robusta plant. He kept experimenting, failing, and improving. After a decade of blood and tear, his Robusta beans are finally qualified to export. Recently, he reached Japan, one of the most difficult markets.
Nowadays, in 2023, Fine Robusta is already named more on the menu. You can easily find them around Sai Gon, Ha Noi. More Vietnamese farmers focus on Robusta bean and Vietnamese specialty coffee. More coffeeholics mention about Vietnamese Robusta as their favorite.
The story of Mr.Toi’s journey also becomes our inspiration. Here at Phincafe, we proudly serve 100% Robusta bean, unlike most coffee shops in Vietnam or Malaysia. We hope every cup of coffee will carry the spirit of "the first Fine Robusta day": make you amazed, energized, and satisfied.
And if you try our Specialty Black Coffee, we can always proudly tell that the bean is made from the love and pride of a respected Vietnamese farmer.
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"Humans of Phin is a series about all the people behind the scenes of Phincafe: from farmers to roasters and friends, who are with us to create a great cup of coffee."
Photo & Copywriting by Phincàfe Langkawi.
