Cocoa Vietnam - Chocolate tasting & Farm Tours

The Rise of Cocoa Vietnam

Cocoa was first introduced by the French during the colonial period, but serious cultivation started only during the early 2000s. At present, it is grown mainly in the Mekong Delta, Central Highlands, and the Southern part of Vietnam. The country produces fine-flavor cocoa, which European and Japanese chocolate makers are in search of.

While African countries produce mass-produced cocoas, Vietnamese cocoa is said to have a peculiar fruity and spicy note, which is perfectly suitable for bean-to-bar productions.

Where is Cocoa Grown in Vietnam?

Sprawled over Vietnam's different regions, each region grows a different flavor profile of cocoa beans. Some of them are:

Mekong Delta: Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Dong Nai

The incredibly fertile lands of the Mekong Delta provide the right conditions for the growth of high-quality beans. Generally speaking, here, cocoa is combined together with the flavors of coconuts and fruits, and therefore, it gets a tropical turn.

Central Highlands: Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai

Famous for its coffee plantations, this is also the site for some of the best crops of Vietnamese cacao. The deep, earthy, nutty flavor of the beans is given to them by the cool climate and the red basalt soil.

Southern Vietnam: Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc

Along the borders of Ho Chi Minh City, these farms have been extraordinarily famous for their chocolatey aroma. Organic farming of cocoa beans from small farmers attracts many artisanal chocolate makers.

The Best Cocoa Farms to Visit in Vietnam

If you are building a cocoa route, these are the ones worth the detour:

Maison Marou - Ho Chi Minh City

• Located in one of Vietnam's most famous bean-to-bar chocolate brands.
• Guided tours around the facility allow visitors to witness the chocolate-making process.
• Best spot for the tasting of 100% Vietnamese Chocolate.

Ben Tre Cocoa Farms

• The Mekong Delta, about 2 hours away from Ho Chi Minh City.
• Learn about fermentation and drying techniques.
• Taste the local delicacies like coconut chocolate and cocoa tea.

Dak Lak Cocoa Farms

• Located in the Central Highlands, which have a cool climate suitable for cocoa.
• Many of the sustainable cocoa farming projects are conducted here.
• Homestays on a number of farms introduce tourists to a simple taste of village life.

Marou's Ba Ria Cocoa Farm

• The very farm where Marou Chocolate, the pioneering Vietnamese artisanal chocolate brand, sources its cocoa.
• Go on a tour of the farm and witness firsthand how the cocoa pod is picked and processed.

Why Vietnamese Cocoa is so Special

Unique Flavors

Vietnamese chocolate is different from its African and South American counterparts, carrying a heavy undertone of fruits, spices, and florals. You have to try Marou chocolate at least once, it's one of the best tasting chocolate of Vietnam which is our personal favorite too!

Bean-to-Bar Chocolate

There are a few artisan chocolate makers in Vietnam, sourcing directly from farmers to make single-origin chocolates.

Sustainable Farming

• Most farmers grow organically, so they generally do not use much chemical fertilizer.
• Most of the farmers are interested in fair trade, ensuring better quality and ethical production.

The other crop worth a detour

Cocoa in Vietnam is a Mekong and Central Highlands story, and the farms in this article are all south or inland. There is nothing like it in the centre.

What the centre has is limestone. If you are building a route that already includes Ben Tre and Da Lat, Phong Nha sits on the way north, and the national park caps daily entries so groups stay small. Our Elephant Cave and Ma Da Valley day trek fits in a single day between buses.

No chocolate involved. It is here because of where it sits on the map, not because it belongs in a cocoa article.

Top Brands of Chocolate to Taste

If one cannot make it to a farm, go ahead and sample some of the finest chocolate one has ever tasted in Vietnam from these places:

Marou Chocolate

• The most well-known chocolate brand in Vietnam.

• Manufactured from 100% domestically sourced cocoa of Vietnam.

• Sampled flavors: Ben Tre 78%, Dak Lak 70%, Lam Dong 74%.

Belvie Chocolate

• A Belgium-Vietnam firm manufacturing single-origin Vietnamese chocolate.

• Smoothly and richly flavored.. Try it here if you are in Saigon.

TBros Chocolate

• Utilizes cocoa sourced from small-scale Vietnamese farmers.

• Sample their bold, dark chocolates.

Alluvia Chocolate

• Specializes in cacao beans from the Mekong Delta.

• Famed for its fruit-infused chocolates.

Best Places to Buy Cocoa Products in Vietnam

If you want to bring some Vietnamese cocoa home with you, here are a few great places to shop:

Chocolate Boutiques in Ho Chi Minh City

• Maison Marou: See chocolate being prepared in this chocolate cafe. It has over 3000 google reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars, insane for a chocolate bar, don’t you think? (Maison Marou Flagship Saigon)
• Belvie Chocolate Store: Located in District 1 with a big selection of all kinds of chocolate.

Local Markets

• Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City: The best place for the purchase of both cocoa powder and chocolate bars.
• Da Lat Night Market: They sell homemade chocolate made by local artisans. And besides chocolate buying there are tons of things to do in Da lat!

Supermarkets and Chains

• Lotte Mart and Vinmart: They have options for Vietnamese chocolate.

• Fine Chocolate by Marou: A premium chocolate shop in Hanoi. It's quite popular among chocolate lovers of Vietnam given its high number of reviews of almost 2000 with an average rating of 4.6 stars!

How to Experience Cocoa in Vietnam

Chocolate Tasting Tours

Several chocolate brands have tastings that take you through the different flavors of cocoa and show you how to create chocolate.

Cocoa Workshops

Get to a bean-to-bar workshop where you will be offered a chance to make your chocolate from scratch.

Alluvia's chocolate-making class is worth an afternoon if you are in Ho Chi Minh City. Here is the itinerary of their one day cocoa farm tour which shall cost you 200k VND (8 USD). The price and timing can vary and be changed depending on the month you are travelling in so always contact them first using their official website.  

Cocoa-Based Drinks

Try various cocoa-based drinks, such as iced cocoa coffee or a hot version of cocoa tea enjoyed in local cafes.

Our Take

Though the cocoa industry is small, it has great impacts on the world of fine chocolate. Tastings of a variety of chocolates in Ho Chi Minh, tours of the cocoa farm in Ben Tre, and taking a bean-to-bar chocolate bar home are just a few ways to experience Cocoa Vietnam.

To any adventurous traveler who enjoys unusual flavors and sustainable eating, pay a visit to Vietnam's certainly-not-to-be-missed cocoa scenes. Salud!