Vietnamese Liberica: Meet the coffee that smells like jackfruit

If you’ve spent any time around Vietnamese coffee, you’ve probably heard of Robusta. But there’s another Vietnamese coffee quietly making a name for itself, and it’s a very different beast.

Meet Liberica.

Known in Vietnam as cà phê mít, or “jackfruit coffee”, Liberica is one of the lesser-known coffee species in the world. Its name might not be as familiar as Arabica or Robusta, but take a sip, and you’ll understand why we think it deserves a little more attention.

What is Liberica?

Liberica is one of the less commonly found coffee species, alongside the more familiar Arabica and Robusta.

The trees are noticeably different, with large leaves and cherries that can grow larger than those of typical coffee varieties. In Vietnam, they’re often called cà phê mít because the leaves resemble those of a jackfruit tree.

But the name becomes even more interesting when you taste the coffee.

Liberica can have incredibly distinctive flavours, often leaning towards tropical fruit, florals, spice and deep sweetness. It doesn't always taste like what you expect coffee to taste like.

And that’s exactly what makes it exciting.

From Quang Tri, Vietnam

Our Liberica comes from Quang Tri, part of the Khe Sanh coffee-growing region in central Vietnam.

Coffee has been grown in this area for generations, including Liberica. But for a long time, Liberica was not considered as valuable as Arabica or Robusta and was often overlooked commercially.

That is something Que is working to change.

Meet Que's Farm

Nguyen Van Que is the farmer behind our Liberica. His farm sits around 600–700 metres above sea level, and he has spent more than a decade working with coffee, with a particular focus on Liberica and speciality processing.

Rather than treating Liberica simply as a traditional crop, Que has been experimenting with cultivation and processing to bring out the character hidden inside these unusual cherries.

His work has also earned recognition in coffee competitions, helping put Quang Tri Liberica on the speciality coffee map. For us, that's what makes his coffee particularly exciting. It's not just a rare coffee species. It's a story about a farmer taking something that has been overlooked and showing people what it can really do.

Two Libericas, two personalities

At Ca Phin, we have two coffees from Que’s Farm: Liberica Natural and Liberica Honey.
Both come from the same farm and species, but different processing brings out very different flavours.

• Que’s Liberica Natural: The Natural process dries the coffee cherry with the fruit still around the seed, creating an expressive, fruit-forward cup with notes of ripe jackfruit, guava and rose jam.
• Que’s Liberica Honey: Our Honey Liberica has notes of crisp apple, cantaloupe and brown sugar, with a smooth texture and clean finish.

Why Liberica matters

Liberica may never be as widely produced as Arabica or Robusta, but that's part of what makes it special.

Vietnam has so much more to offer beyond the coffee it is traditionally known for, and farmers like Que are helping show the world what Vietnamese Liberica can be.

For us, great coffee is not just about what’s in the cup. It’s also about where it comes from, who grows it, and the people pushing it somewhere new. From Quang Tri to the UAE, we're excited to share another side of Vietnamese coffee.