Are You an International Coffee Lover? Read These SE Asia Coffee News Updates
Those of you who have explored the world of international coffee a bit are probably already aware that some of the most interesting coffees and coffee variations come to us from Southeast Asia. Whether you’re already a Southeast Asian coffee enthusiast or you’re just an adventurous coffee drinker, it probably pays to keep up with what’s happening in the SE Asia coffee world.
With that in mind, here are some of the relatively recent Southeast Asia news stories that are likely to affect coffee drinkers worldwide.
Greater Developmental Opportunities for SE Asia Coffee
In the 21st century, Southeast Asian countries have begun showing signs of massive growth, and this includes Vietnam, which has posted record coffee exports to become the largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil. As Kitco.com reports, in January of 2018, Vietnam coffee exports were even higher than expected, exporting 200,740 tons, over a government estimate of only 175,000 tons. This represented a 26.8 percent jump in coffee exports over the previous month.
This can only mean continued great things when it comes to Vietnamese and other Southeast Asia-produced coffee, especially for fans of Robusta, a coffee bean for which Vietnam is the world’s leading producer.
Decaf Coffee Global Market Demand
Another interesting coffee development in SE Asia has to do with the rise in the popularity of decaf coffee throughout the world, as recently reported by FactsWeek. It seems that the market for decaf coffee has been growing dramatically, and the popularity is not just limited to South American coffees like Columbian and Guatemalan blends, but extends to other Southeast Asian varieties like Sumatra Mandheling decaf coffee.
If you are a fan of Sumatran coffee, and more and more people are coming to realize the delights of this exotic blend, you may want to consider trying a decaf version, as a night time beverage or for times when you need to stay level but want to enjoy your favorite drink.
Cold Coffee and SE Asia
The cold brew and iced coffee craze has hit the United States hard, and now, according to APFoodOnline, Southeast Asia is catching the wave, too. Apparently many Millennials share a love of both “third wave” coffee and cold brew, and places like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines seem poised to provide them with that perfect combination.
While in 2016, the U.S. was the leader in innovative Cold Brew coffee products (at 40 percent), Indonesia and South Korea are on their tail and climbing quickly, with the two countries combining for 31 percent.
For example, Indonesia’s Gambino Coffee, which sells beverages in a very distinctive “medicine bottle” container, began selling a line of ready-to-drink cold brew coffees in Jakarta in 2016. The line included flavors like Hazelnut Latte, Red Velvet Latte, French Vanilla Latte, Italian Tiramisu and more. If you don’t see these selections in your local coffee purchasing store, you probably will soon.
Coffee From Thailand: Always on Trend
Curious to have a cup or two of the World’s Most Sustainable Coffee? Well, now you can, thanks to the Exotic Bean! Paradise Mountain Organic Farm is a single estate, bird friendly property that has incredible karma and excellent coffee. The farm is located north of Chiang Mai, Thailand and resides at approximately 3700ft above sea level, where not a single tree has been disturbed to enable the coffee farm to flourish.
Paradise Mountain maintains complete dedication to the preservation of the natural landscape by utilizing the highest level of cultivation, placing the entire farm among the trees for a true organic, high quality single estate plantation. If you’re ready to try some of the very best coffee coming from SE Asia, pick up a few pounds of Paradise Mountain coffee from Thailand today.