Home roasting Vietnamese coffee

Coffee culture has been a deeply rich part of Vietnamese life for the better part of the last hundred years, since the French colonial days. As you may know, Vietnam is the 2nd largest producer of coffee in the world, primarily dominated by Robusta varietals. Such beans are very different in flavor from arabica, earthy and less sweet. Vietnamese people have developed methods that will surely stir up a few of you, so try to keep an open mind.

Coming home to Vietnam for the first time since my birth in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1971, has opened my eyes to a different way of thinking. The people are humble and quiet, but very creative and determined. The kind of coffee culture here is so deeply embedded into their way of life. No one knows for sure how many shops there are here but my very conservative estimate is about 10-20,000 here alone, just Ho Chi Minh City, despite being only 1/8 the size of Los Angeles City. It is an incredibly dense place, home to over 10M people. After a while I just stop counting. And coffee time is any time. Not the typical 5a-6pm. Shops run all day.
Round the clock, one is never too far from a coffee shop that runs "24/24" (aka 24/7).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fbRVqm3Hyw