Coffee blossom season - Photo: SH
I am not a white cloud, but I have had the good fortune to leave my footprints on many hillsides in bloom with coffee flowers in Huong Phung, Huong Linh, Huong Son, Huong Tan communes, and Khe Sanh town. To gently touch each delicate coffee flower petal, embracing its light, pure fragrance carried by the nomadic wind throughout the landscape, weaving its way into every nook and cranny of the villages.
To witness the vibrant colors of the brocade worn by the Van Kieu girls meticulously picking coffee beans under the tall trees that provide shade and protection from the wind and rain for the blooming coffee and tea gardens... in the Doa Cu area (Huong Phung).
Perhaps hidden deep within the memories of the Van Kieu girl are the days of her childhood, following her father to the coffee plantation before dawn, when only light white clouds drifted lazily over the mountaintops. Just to admire the clusters of coffee blossoms forming pristine white ribbons, silently releasing their fragrance into the symphony of mountain flowers.
And each time she reached out her tiny hand to grasp a cluster of coffee blossoms, the Van Kieu girl felt as if she were holding in her hands the entire spring, brimming with vitality. Or one morning, waking up and sitting beside her mother cooking breakfast for her father in the kitchen of the old brown stilt house, weathered by countless seasons of rain and sunshine beside the coffee plantation, the gentle, pure fragrance of coffee blossoms wafted in on the spring breeze, beckoning her. Stepping out into the yard, the Van Kieu girl was suddenly astonished, then overwhelmed with joy, to see the coffee blossoms bursting into white on the branches.
Just yesterday, the buds were shyly nestled in their delicate pale green coverings, but after a night of deep sleep, they burst forth in color and fragrance. A barefooted Vân Kiều girl runs up the hillside, her eyes taking in the vast expanse of coffee blossoms, ablaze with white, beckoning to the sun. The rising sun chases away the lingering dew drops clinging to the branches. The brighter the sun shines, the purer the white of the coffee blossoms becomes, and the more intoxicating their fragrance.
The sun urges the flowers to release their fragrance, attracting bees to collect nectar, stirring in the soul of the Van Kieu girl a whirlwind of indescribable emotions. Then, the youth and love of the Van Kieu girl intertwine with the fragrance of coffee blossoms, spreading in the tranquil, serene silence of gentle moonlit nights, melting away with the sounds of the bamboo flute and pi flute... Now, it has become a reflection from a beautiful past illuminating her present life, though a few sighs still linger in the cold, lonely night.
Not long ago, I had the opportunity to wander through the hills with Mr. Van Viet Long in Huong Phu village, Huong Phung commune, to admire the coffee blossoms. We sat together under the canopy of decades-old coffee trees with sturdy trunks, reaching high to provide solid shelter for the tea-coffee garden that was in full bloom with white flowers.
Mr. Long revealed to me many interesting things about the harmonious coexistence and symbiosis between Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica coffee varieties currently found in Huong Phung commune. For example, the Liberica coffee variety ( scientific name Coffea Excelsa or Coffea Liberica, belonging to the Rubiaceae family), which was thought to be found only in the Central Highlands, is actually quite abundant in Huong Phung commune.
Mature coffee plants of the "jackfruit" variety typically grow to a height of 2-5 meters, with large trunks, leaves, and fruits, distinctly different from Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties. The "jackfruit" variety usually blooms with white flowers in December (lunar calendar), then bears abundant ripe red fruit hanging on the tree, awaiting harvest around February (lunar calendar) each year. This means that when the "jackfruit" coffee ripens, it coincides with the peak flowering season of Arabica and Robusta coffee.
Coffee blends of Arabica, Robusta, and Jackfruit create a harmonious blend of the white blossoms of Arabica and Robusta coffee with the red ripe fruit of Jackfruit coffee. Many coffee connoisseurs share the feeling that waking up each morning and enjoying a cup of Jackfruit coffee with the subtle aroma of ripe jackfruit and a hint of sourness from the cherry creates an indescribable sensation. The Jackfruit coffee variety was brought to Huong Phung commune from Dak Lak and Gia Lai provinces about 15-20 years ago by coffee growers.
At that time, this type of tree was mainly planted by people in Huong Phung commune to build windbreaks and provide shade for coffee and Arabica plantations. Now, however, the "jackfruit" coffee variety is bringing a significant income to coffee growers. On average, a jackfruit coffee tree yields 30-50 kg of fresh fruit, depending on its age. Some jackfruit coffee trees over 15 years old can even yield 100-150 kg of fresh fruit.
Ripe jackfruit coffee berries are concentrated in one area, making harvesting easy; simply spread a tarp under the tree and use a ladder to harvest them all at once. Since 2024, the purchase price of jackfruit coffee has increased significantly compared to previous years.
This year, the harvest season for jackfruit coffee has begun, and traders are buying it at 22,000 VND/kg. Jackfruit coffee is an easy-to-grow and easy-to-care-for plant with low costs, good drought tolerance, and harvesting is not as labor-intensive as with Arabica coffee. The harvest season also coincides with hot, sunny weather, making it convenient for drying the fruit.
I come to the coffee blossom season not only to experience the incredibly poetic natural scenery, with coffee blossoms like a "white silk ribbon" stretching across the hillsides of Huong Phung, Huong Linh, Huong Son, Huong Tan, or Khe Sanh town, but also to share the joys and anxieties that fluctuate with the rain and sunshine of the farmers who have dedicated their lives to coffee cultivation. Perhaps each carpet of "white snow" of coffee blossoms is a fitting reward for the hard work, anticipation, and dedication of the coffee growers here?
Sy Hoang
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/lang-dang-voi-mua-hoa-ca-phe-193052.htm
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