The world of coffee is fast growing, and whilst Ethiopia together with its sibling producers like Colombia or Brazil often crop up as the PR person for coffee production within countries quietly positioning themselves on this densely packed map. Even Laos, of all countries (specifically the Bolaven Plateau region), is garnering an international reputation for having excellent coffee beans. Laos Bolaven Plateau has been touted more recently for its smooth, well-rounded characteristics and it’s time we rediscover the origins of this long-forgotten coffee region.
So this blog, we are unpacking the world of Laos bolaven plateau coffee- from seed to cup; The history and tradition involved in its cultivation, characteristic tasting notes,and what facility is used to brew it into your daily favorite stimulant! This Southeast Asian coffee is becoming a favorite and by the end of this you will see why both connoisseurs and modest drinkers alike are marching towards.
Coffee has been grown in Laos since the early 1900s, when French colonists first planted it in the region. The fertile highlands were planted with coffee, especially the southern Bolaven Plateau. Its climate and soil were perfect for coffee cultivation, which was extremely important an agricultural product in that period (1930).
But during the mid-20th century, particularly hitting Laos’ coffee industry hard due to its unique geography of being neighboring Indochina and neighboring Vietnam it faced political turmoil from wars in nearby regions like the one we know as ‘the Vietnam War’. Coffee farms were abandoned or simply destroyed. The industry started to recover in the 1990s with a plan for coffee farming built on an expanded base. Today, coffee is once again a major crop in this part of the world, with most coming out from lands surrounding the Bolaven Plateau.
Southern Laos, the province of Champasak in particular ~ is home to The Bolaven Plateau, where Laotian coffee all begins. This area is famous for the specific environmental parameters that allow growing a top quality coffee. The Bolaven Plateau benefits from a cooler climate than the surrounding lowlands, located at 800-1,350 meters above sea level. The mix of these high altitudes, along with volcanic soil being full of nourishment is the ideal prerequisite for growing topnotch coffee beans.
Another important factor in coffee production on the plateau is weather patterns. The area has a monsoon climate, with an especially rainy period during the summer and fall followed by like five straight months of bone dry that keeps coffee plants healthy. This creates a slow-developing bean that can take advantage of more air circulation, water and minerals throughout its growth.
Yet, an exhilarating characteristic of Laos Bolaven Plateau coffee is their preservation and longevity with bio-organic cultivation. Most of these farms are family-owned and choose to be 100% organic farming. This involves using natural fertilizers and avoiding chemical pesticides while conserving land biodiversity.
Many people who farm coffee in the Bolaven Plateau use shade-grown techniques. These agriculturists plant their trees under a kind of umbrella made by larger species, which is how they grow some fruits natively now that we deforest our canopy zones to bigger sun-intense food options (like pineapples). Not only does this reflect the natural environment of a coffee plant but also helps with better soil health, water conservation and biodiversity. Shade grown coffee also typically takes longer to mature which can bealead into a more intricate flavor base.
Fair trade and direct trade practices are another important aspect of sustainable farming in the Bolaven Plateau. Most of the coffee cooperatives that we work with in this area engage directly with buyers, who make sure to pay their farmers high prices for their beans. This goes along with the theme of helping your local economy and making sure that coffee production stays ethical and sustainable.
Growing Laos Bolaven Plateau coffee beans is something that has to be done in accordance with a healthy tradition of care. Many of the beans are grown on family-run small-holdings, where particular care is taken to pick them by hand and process them naturally.
Manually picking coffee cherries in the Bolaven Plateau. This helps in the process of choosing only ripe coffee cherries and it is very important for preserving high quality beans. Handpicking is a time-consuming process, however it provides farmers the ability to pick each cherry at its best ripeness.
The Process: After the cherries are harvested, they will be processed and that usually falls in to 2 categories; washed/wet method or natural/dry method. “Washed” — where the outer flesh of the fruit is removed before fermenting beans in water, yielding a cleaner more vibrant taste. On the other hand, using natural processing lets these cherries dry as a whole with the fruit and flesh still wrapped around the actual bean resulting in even more fruity & decadent flavors.
After the beans are processed, they will be sun drying. Drying can take anywhere from a few weeks and during this time the beans are monitored constantly, turned periodically to ensure uniform drying. After drying, the coffee beans are further sifted and graded before they get roasted.
The beans from the Laos Bolaven Plateau are typically roasted to a medium level in order to deliciously
highlight their individual flavours without masking other subtle notes.
Balanced Flavor (1-10): 7 Another one of the more balanced, or well rounded flavors Long Lasting Aftertaste FULL Bodied — soft acidity Thailand Gift Coffee Grown at a high altitude Sigma Lao coffee beans they age very nicely and hold their flavor for longer Laos Bolaven Plateau Not particularly CUP MY WORLD For lovers love people who are new back I Heart Vienna William
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