The “K’Ho Coffee” brand started from a romantic love story between Joshua, an American, and Co lieng Rolan, a beautiful K’Ho girl in Bonneur C Hamlet, Lac Duong District, Lam Dong Province. Joshua left the US in 2008 to work in a company in Cambodia which specialised in organising tours for foreign tourists. Then, he arrived in Vietnam and fell in love with Co Lieng Rolan, an artist from the Gong Troupe of Mong Mo Hill Tourist Site. They got married and decided to do business in the homeland of Rolan at the foot of the legendary Lang Biang Mountain. When talking with a foreign tourist about coffee, an idea of making a type of pure coffee came across Rolan’s mind and the couple decided to create a type of coffee product, applying the organic farming method.
Thanks to the knowledge of Joshua who once studied agriculture and with the support of Rolan who thoroughly understands the coffee farming method in her native land, the couple quickly implemented their plan to create the “K’Ho Coffee” brand. Rolan said that she wanted to create a signature coffee product of the K’Ho people and affirm the brand of coffee in the region.
They not only sell crude coffee but also focuses on selling coffee processed right at Bonneur C Hamlet. To ensure the quality of coffee, the couple has to select the best ripe coffee berries which are then pealed, washed and dried for seven days on shelves. Coffee beans are then processed to peal off their silk skin, glossily rubbed, classified, roasted and packaged. All stages are done manually.
After several experiments, in 2012 they successfully made the first batch of 10kg of “K’Ho Coffee” which were sold out for a short time. “K’Ho Coffee” was a favourite brand of customers at the Organic Farmer’s Market in Ho Chi Minh City and drew the attention of the Real Specialty Coffee Roaster Company. The company then sent its representative to the couple’s workshop to survey the process of making coffee and ordered 20tonnes a year. However, the couple had to refuse because their workshop was not capable of providing a large quantity and they also wanted to spend more time researching to improve the product’s quality.
They invested 130 million dong to buy a modern roasting machine which helps shorten the roasting time to 20 minutes and increased to 4kg of coffee beans for each batch. With this machine, the quality of coffee has much improved , thereby the price also increased to 500,000 VND/kg from 280,000-350,000VND.
To expand the scale of production, the couple coordinates with households who grow Arabica coffee plants in the region to increase the total material growing area to 50ha. At harvest time, they buy coffee beans at a higher price than that in the market so the farmers strictly comply with regulations and standards on planting and processing coffee .
“K’Ho Coffee” has now become so famous that many domestic and foreign visitors to Da Lat want to visit the house of the couple with a desire to experience the taste of this ingenious coffee made by the locals in a garden on the hillside. Joshua said that “K’Ho Coffee” is distributed by seven shops nationwide, including two in Da Lat and others in Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City. “K’Ho Coffee” is also much favoured and sought after by customers from the US and Europe.
 K’ho Coffee is made from coffee beans grown in Lang Biang Plateau. Photo: File  Joshua and Rolan carefully select the best coffee berries to ensure the quality of their K’Ho coffee. Photo: File  Arabica coffee, which is popularly cultivated in Lang Biang Plateau, is the main material to make K’ho Coffee. Photo: File  Coffee beans are hulled and sun-dried. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Coffee beans before roasting. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Roasting coffee beans. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Coffee bean roasting method is introduced to a foreigner. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Checking the quality of roasted coffee beans. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Ground coffee before packaging. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Co Lieng Rolan packages coffee. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Coffee materials are carefully stored. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Samples of Arabica coffee beans which are used to make K’ho Coffee. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP |
Thanks to the knowledge of Joshua who once studied agriculture and with the support of Rolan who thoroughly understands the coffee farming method in her native land, the couple quickly implemented their plan to create the “K’Ho Coffee” brand. Rolan said that she wanted to create a signature coffee product of the K’Ho people and affirm the brand of coffee in the region.
They not only sell crude coffee but also focuses on selling coffee processed right at Bonneur C Hamlet. To ensure the quality of coffee, the couple has to select the best ripe coffee berries which are then pealed, washed and dried for seven days on shelves. Coffee beans are then processed to peal off their silk skin, glossily rubbed, classified, roasted and packaged. All stages are done manually.
After several experiments, in 2012 they successfully made the first batch of 10kg of “K’Ho Coffee” which were sold out for a short time. “K’Ho Coffee” was a favourite brand of customers at the Organic Farmer’s Market in Ho Chi Minh City and drew the attention of the Real Specialty Coffee Roaster Company. The company then sent its representative to the couple’s workshop to survey the process of making coffee and ordered 20tonnes a year. However, the couple had to refuse because their workshop was not capable of providing a large quantity and they also wanted to spend more time researching to improve the product’s quality.
They invested 130 million dong to buy a modern roasting machine which helps shorten the roasting time to 20 minutes and increased to 4kg of coffee beans for each batch. With this machine, the quality of coffee has much improved , thereby the price also increased to 500,000 VND/kg from 280,000-350,000VND.
To expand the scale of production, the couple coordinates with households who grow Arabica coffee plants in the region to increase the total material growing area to 50ha. At harvest time, they buy coffee beans at a higher price than that in the market so the farmers strictly comply with regulations and standards on planting and processing coffee .
 Rolan shows a customer how to select coffee beans. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  Joshua performs his way of brewing K’ho coffee to create its unique flavour. Photo: File  A foreigner tastes K’Ho coffee. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  The packaging of K’ho Coffee features cultural values of the K’ho people. Photo: Thong Hai/VNP  K’ho Coffee product is introduced to foreign tourists at a festival. Photo: File  K’Ho coffee is much sought after by American and European visitors. Photo: File |
“K’Ho Coffee” has now become so famous that many domestic and foreign visitors to Da Lat want to visit the house of the couple with a desire to experience the taste of this ingenious coffee made by the locals in a garden on the hillside. Joshua said that “K’Ho Coffee” is distributed by seven shops nationwide, including two in Da Lat and others in Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City. “K’Ho Coffee” is also much favoured and sought after by customers from the US and Europe.
Story: Nguyen Vu Thanh Dat - Photos: Thong Hai & Files
