Đà Lạt's New Wave Coffee Roasters Win Top International Awards, Put Highland City on Specialty Coffee Map

## Highland Coffee Revolution

Đà Lạt's specialty coffee scene is experiencing an unprecedented boom as three local roasters claimed top honors at major international competitions this year, drawing the attention of coffee connoisseurs from Melbourne to Copenhagen.

K'Ho Coffee Collective, based near Langbiang Mountain, took bronze at the London Coffee Festival's Roaster Guild Awards last month, while Cầu Đất Roastery on Trần Hưng Đạo street secured recognition from the Specialty Coffee Association's "Roasters of the Year" program. Meanwhile, newcomer Đà Lạt Origins, operating from a converted French villa near Xuân Hương Lake, has been featured in two prominent international coffee magazines.

"We're seeing a fundamental shift in how the world views Vietnamese coffee," says Nguyễn Minh Tâm, founder of Cầu Đất Roastery. "For decades, Vietnam was known for robusta production and instant coffee. Now, we're proving that our arabica, grown at 1,500 meters altitude with ideal terroir, can compete with beans from Ethiopia or Colombia."

## From Farm to Cup

The success stems from Đà Lạt's unique advantages: cool highland climate, volcanic soil, and proximity to K'Ho and Chil ethnic minority coffee farmers who have cultivated arabica for generations. These new roasters are forming direct partnerships with growers in nearby communes like Lát and Đạ Chais, ensuring quality control from cherry to cup.

Trần Thị Hương, a third-generation K'Ho farmer supplying K'Ho Coffee Collective, notes the economic impact: "Five years ago, we sold our arabica cherries for 35,000 đồng per kilogram. Now, through direct trade relationships, we're getting 95,000 đồng. Our children can stay in the village instead of moving to Saigon."

## Tourist Trail Brewing

The international recognition is already translating into tourism growth. Đà Lạt Origins reports that 40% of their café visitors are now international tourists specifically seeking out award-winning Vietnamese specialty coffee.

The Lâm Đồng Department of Tourism is developing a "Coffee Heritage Trail" connecting roasteries, farms, and tasting rooms throughout the city, scheduled to launch this April. The trail will include stops at Đà Lạt Market's coffee section, historical coffee farms near Cam Ly Falls, and processing facilities in the Ta Nung valley.

"We're not trying to be the next Chiang Mai or Bali," explains Phạm Văn Long, director of K'Ho Coffee Collective. "Đà Lạt has its own story—indigenous farming traditions, French colonial coffee culture, and now a new generation committed to sustainability and quality. That authenticity is what international buyers want."