A special postage stamp collection, named ‘Cay ca phe’ (the coffee plant), with the smell of freshly-brewed coffee, has been issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications and Vietnam Post in a bid to popularise the image of Vietnamese coffee.

Using scented print technology, the collection features four 43 x 32 mm stamps designed by To Minh Trang. The stamps demonstrate different growth stages of the coffee tree from a seed to a sapling, then a mature tree that flowers and bears fruits. They also depict coffee beans and a hot cup of coffee.

Each stamp costs 4,000 VND (0.18 USD), with the collection on sale until December 31, 2023.

The coffee plant was introduced to Vietnam by the French in 1857. The plants are grown on highlands and high mountains with suitable climate and soil, giving the local coffee beans a distinct flavor.

Coffee has become one of the key export commodities of Vietnam, ranking second in terms of turnover only after rice.

Last year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s coffee export revenue is estimated at over 3 billion USD, with Vietnam remaining the second largest exporter of the drink in the world, second only to Brazil, accounting for 8.3 percent of the global market share./.