Coffee from a rich and beautiful land.

The highland mornings are cool and crisp. The familiar sight of stylish patrons sitting in their favorite cafes, chatting over steaming cups of fragrant coffee, has become an integral part of daily life, sometimes even a cherished memory for those far away…

Decades ago, coffee was typically brewed using a filter. The coffee was ground medium, not too finely, as excessively fine grinding would clog the filter. The coffee grounds were placed in the filter, filling it about one-third full, boiling water was poured in, and the filter was covered and placed on a thick ceramic or glass cup.

Then the coffee absorbs the water, expands, and releases all its essence into a fragrant drop, falling slowly. I say slowly, but it's just the right amount of time; if it's too fast, the coffee won't taste good; but if it's too slow, the coffee will be too thick and waste all the precious time of the day…

In the aroma of coffee, many people think of rolling hills covered in white coffee blossoms, their fragrance filling the air along every road in the highlands; and seasons when ripe, bright red berries are harvested and spread out to dry in the yards. That is also an image of this land, both beautiful and rich.

Beautiful because of its natural scenery and the diligent, hardworking people; beautiful because they know how to enjoy life, making it greener through their meticulous care of coffee plants, from digging holes and sowing seedlings to planting and tending them. The aroma and delicious taste of the coffee contain the sweat and effort of the growers.

There was a time when Buon Ma Thuot had cafes with beautiful names: Ha Trang (White Summer), Dong Xanh (Green Field), Uat Kim Huong (Sweet Scent), Bang Khuang (Melancholy)... and famous cafes like 52 A Ma Trang Long Street, which the renowned musician and guitarist Quang Dung often visited with his friends during his lifetime.

Nowadays, with the emergence of many new cafes offering spacious settings, customers are gradually becoming accustomed to machine-brewed coffee, while filter coffee is now only found in private homes, on porches every morning.

Cà phê xứ giàu và đẹp - Ảnh 2. — A cup of coffee in the early morning

Coffee still speaks volumes through its aroma and tells stories through its taste. It's also a part of a life worth living.

(Entry for the "Impressions on Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" contest 2026, part of the 4th "Celebrating Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" program organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).