Breathtakingly beautiful, the coffee drying season blankets the vast Central Highlands in brown.

The tractor silently plows the vast coffee drying yard - Photo: TRAN MAI

These days, while the morning mist still lingers on the mountain slopes, the people of the highlands of Quang Ngai have already woken up for the coffee drying season.

In front yards, open spaces along village roads, and even recently harvested fields, dark brown coffee beans are spread out, drying in the sun.

These coffee "carpets" silently release their aroma, painting a breathtaking picture of the harvest season.

As the first rays of sunlight appear, the rustling sound of coffee harvesting echoes throughout the villages of Dak Ha, Dak Mar, Dak Ui communes…

The areas considered the "coffee capital" of Quang Ngai province are adorned with a new coat of color this season - deep brown, glossy, and full of life.

Everyone went out to the yard, some stirring the coffee beans, others gathering them into small piles as the clouds rolled in, taking advantage of every moment of sunshine to dry the "golden brown" of the Central Highlands.

After harvesting, the ripe red coffee beans are brought in for processing, hulling, and drying. This seemingly simple task requires patience and meticulous attention to detail.

The coffee beans must be stirred several times a day and dried naturally in the sun to preserve their flavor. Under the scorching sun, drops of sweat fall onto the drying yard, but in return, a quiet joy shines in the eyes of the coffee growers.

Mr. Lai Duc Dung (Dak Binh village, Dak Ui commune) skillfully turned the coffee beans while smiling kindly: "This season, my family harvested over 40 tons of fresh coffee. We're keeping some to dry and sell as green coffee beans, which fetch a better price. The weather this year is beautiful, and the whole family is very happy."

The silhouette of a farmer casts a shadow over the coffee beans - Photo: TRUONG NGUYEN

The Central Highlands are beautiful this season, and it's also the only time of year for tourists to experience the beauty of the coffee drying season - Photo: TRUONG NGUYEN

To meet the deadline, Mr. Dung also rented additional land from his neighbors, spreading the coffee beans in a thin layer, hoping the sun would quickly dry the "bitter beans" so that the rich flavor of the land would be preserved.

The atmosphere of the drying season also spreads to the warehouses and processing plants of businesses. Thousands of square meters of drying areas are filled with coffee beans arranged in straight rows, resembling long strips of brown silk stretched out in the sun.

Plows and tractors are utilized as invaluable laborers, turning over hundreds of tons of coffee beans lying stretched out in the sun, while workers check the dryness and adjust the thickness of the drying layers… All are integrated into the urgent rhythm of the work.

From the highlands of Quang Ngai, the story of the coffee harvest spreads throughout the Central Highlands. In Gia Lai, Dak Lak , Lam Dong, and other provinces, the sun is also drying the vast coffee plantations.

Following the same seasonal rhythm and the same aroma, these "bitter seeds" are nurtured by the sweat of the growers before being transported from the mountains on trucks to markets both domestically and internationally.

The coffee drying season is not just a production process, but also a season of joy and hope after a year of hard work in the fields.

In the late-year sun, coffee beans silently dry, carrying with them the story of the persistent labor of the highland people, preparing for a new journey, from the village courtyards of the Central Highlands to the world.