Discover the unique wood-roasted coffee process in the heart of Hanoi
Monday, March 4, 2024 08:00 AM (GMT+7)
Faced with the new wave of coffee consumption, there are still young people looking for ways to preserve the value of cups of filter coffee.
Video : Discover the wood-roasted coffee process in the heart of Hanoi
Many Hanoi coffee connoisseurs will be familiar with the brand “Thai Coffee”, one of the few shops that still maintains the wood-roasting formula to produce batches of beans imbued with a smoky aroma.
Nguyen Duc Hieu (36 years old) is the fourth generation in his family to manage this nearly 100-year-old coffee shop.
Mr. Hieu confided: "Until now, with the support of modern machinery, I still roast coffee by hand with firewood. Every step is 100% manual, from roasting on a stove, pouring into a bamboo basket, then cooling by hand."
Coffee beans are selected from three regions: Dien Bien, Buon Ho, and Phu Quy. For that reason, drinking a cup of coffee in Thai will help you feel the gentle aroma of the Northwest mountains and forests, a bit of deep, salty flavor like the sweat soaked in every inch of Nghe An land, and the strong intoxication of the great plateau.
Unlike gas stoves, induction stoves transfer heat instantly. Roasting coffee with a wood stove requires years of experience in regulating the heat in the stove. Look at the flame to guess what state the flame is in.
"At the same time, observe the coffee beans, the smell of the coffee, the color of the coffee, smell the smell, look at the coffee, listen to the sound of the coffee popping in the oven to know when to increase or decrease the heat. Simply keep the fire steady, from start to finish," Mr. Hieu confided.
The key is flame regulation, as dropping a stick of wood can take a few seconds or minutes to get to the right temperature for the desired roasting stage.
A batch of coffee just out of the oven, smoke swirling around is a unique feature of Thai coffee.
Having studied abroad in Germany for 6 years, he worked in banking, marketing, communications, and learned how to be a "farmer" and "bartender". Finally, he decided to return to the shop his father left behind. "I feel responsible for preserving the culture of the coffee corner, responsible for the family brand and for the regular customers. There are customers who have been coming here for more than 50 years to drink coffee regularly, which is the motivation and pride of the family," Mr. Hieu confided.
The fragrant smell of coffee mixed with the smell of kitchen smoke is unforgettable.
Nearly a millennium has passed, the flavor of the cup of coffee remains the same as the original, rustic and elegant, just like the character of Hanoi people, becoming a memorable attraction for tourists.
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