The story behind Anaerobic Lotus
As the world’s largest producer of Robusta, Vietnam is not generally considered an origin with high quality coffee. But that is hardly the case. Cau Dat, in the province of Da Lat in the central to southeastern part of the country, grows significant amounts of specialty coffee, and we are one of the only specialty importers sourcing it who have quality controls in place over the entire supply chain.
Vietnam is a country of smallholder farms, averaging 1-3 hectares, and famers do not process their own coffee here but instead sell red cherry to wet mills, who process the coffee for export.
Download Anaerobic Lotus Info SheetLotus Anaerobic is grown at an altitude of 1400-1600 masl, and the region is characterized by year-round cool weather and volcanic soil. Coffee has been growing in Caudat since the mid-1850’s when it was introduced by the French. It has since been cultivated by Vietnamese farmers and the region is known for being the among the highest quality arabica in the country.
This lot is an anaerobic processed lot. Rather than washing, fermenting, and drying like a standard washed coffee, this lot was pulped, washed, and then spends a day in an anaerobic environment. This allows the coffee flavors to mature without outside influence. After the anaerobic process, the wet parchment is dried on raised beds in our purpose-built greenhouse. Once dry, the coffee is stored in a climate-controlled warehouse to protect the delicate coffee from the harsh Vietnam climate prior to shipping.
Anaerobic processing is a relatively new in Vietnam, and results in brighter, more complex acidity and flavors.