Karmic Circle Coffee Trading

Home
Karmic Circle Coffee Trading

.We choose coffee because of the fascinating differences between coffee cultures in Vietnam and in the United States.
(1)

Karmic Circle Coffee sprouted from one vision…to help improve the lives of those involve in Vietnamese coffee industry while sharing the exotic coffee with our friends in the U.S market that appreciate a unique and socially conscious product Just like many of you, we, too, used to be coffee consumers with little knowledge of the process leading to a good cup of coffee. We now know that brewing th

e perfect cup of coffee requires understanding the relationships between coffee bean processing, milling, grinding and brewing methods and equipment. Having learned about this fascinating process, we wanted to bring this awareness to the consumer

The Vietnamese coffee drinking experience is a leisurely social opportunity for friends to sip and chat in a coffee house at any time of day. Coming to America, I found that many Americans make their own coffee, especially in the mornings to fuel themselves for a busy day ahead; the contrast is intriguing. My partner and I embarked on the enviable task of tasting the many varieties of Vietnamese coffee. We located the source of the finest coffee cherries in Vietnam’s temperate Highlands, the most fertile coffee growing region in the world, where, ironically, abjectly poor farmers were barely making a living; surely there must be a way to bring them a better life by bringing American coffee-lovers the best product. My motivation is to create a social enterprise from my own perspective as an insider, rather than having an outside charitable agency set up a business that would benefit my own Vietnamese people. It was then that I resolved to start Karmic Circle Coffee: to share a rich and interesting coffee culture as well as to initiate a social enterprise from an insider’s point of view.

17/05/2024

Here are a couple of questions that we are asked often.
Learn more at www.karmiccirclecoffeetrading.com/frequentlyaskedquestions

14/05/2024

Logistics is an integral part of the coffee supply chain. Without it, the coffees won’t be easily accessible. At this point, it’s important to know what are you getting charged for.
There are two distinctive options: either LCL or FCL.
In addition, there are more questions to ask as the containers move to point A to point B. Is this container being shipped one time? Or is it getting shipped many times in a year? Which generate the cost of Single Bond vs Continuous Bond and more additional fees along the way.
Knowing what you will be charged for is critical and we thought it’s worth sharing these typical fees that we often get when importing 🤪
Was it something that you have known before? Is there anything that is new to you?

04/01/2024

Origin base

We choose to focus on Vietnam because we speak the language as that is where I (Rae) was born. And it is much easier to focus on one place and get to know it well. Versus sourcing from many places that are less familiar.

Producer base

This is our approach since the get go. Based on our producer’s abilities and capabilities, we believe that each has certain strengths in the art and science of production. Hence, we only want to work with beans that reflect what the producers are best at. This means we don’t buy all of the variations within their product lineup. We buy the best products that they (and we) feel most proud of. Moreover, having attention and feedback are the keys to nurture our relationship with these producers.

Customer base

We understand that some roasters are interested in custom processing methods to achieve unique and interesting flavors in the coffees that they intend to purchase. If this is you, we are happy to make every effort to accommodate! Please reach out and educate us about your preferences, and we will facilitate a direct connection with the supplier you purchase the coffee from.

Seasonality

We aim to deliver coffees that are as fresh as possible. Therefore, we don’t offer a Spot buying option. Vietnam’s harvest season is between October and February for Robusta and Arabica. As soon as the coffee is well rested and achieves its target moisture content we will move the beans to the States.

22/09/2023

At the time this post is being written, we are currently enjoying life by the sea (Cam Ranh Bay, the southernmost region of Central Vietnam).

Though our trip feels all too short, we gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about farm-raised lobsters 🦞 . You must wonder, what does farm-raised lobsters have to do with coffee ????

But trust us, the human aspect is deeply aligned.
Here is how we accumulate our connection between the two:
When we are desperate to upgrade our livelihood, we don’t want to dive deep and consider hard truths. We are less analytical about the things that we are about to do. And we understand that on a personal level.

When we are interested in doing something, we don’t want to hear the Naysayers. We want to hear what we want to hear.

Many farmers in both industries entered the field under this condition. They heard the business was lucrative at one point, and so they decided “they will figure things out as they go” and learn by trial and error.

We all have to start somewhere.

But it is true that many farmers/producers haven’t got a solid, lengthy background of professional or familial experience in the field that they have entered.

With less knowledge, novice mistakes tend to occur frequently. But the longer they are in the field, the better they become at asking CRITICAL questions. This is why we are interested in working with experienced coffee professionals and producers; it stimulates us. And in turn allows us to give better feedback on behalf of our customers in the U.S., who in turn help us keep our standards climbing.

We all learn together.
P.S: farm-raised lobsters in the last few pics.

08/06/2023

Vietnam Origin’s Story.
I arrived in Vietnam on May 22, 2022 with a desire of getting to learn at the origin: the norms, the challenges, the passions of coffee producers and the hidden struggles, joys behind closed doors that I couldn’t see if living afar.
And now a year has passed, I couldn’t be more appreciative for what I have observed, and exposed myself to.
I have written some of our posts talking about the coffee production and the conditions in which the pickers and farmers operate in Vietnam. But those were just the parts of the farm cycle that we got a chance to observe with our own eyes. Our experience has continued to expand and when we got to experience the planting of a brand new coffee farm, we knew that our knowledge had been upgraded.
And inevitably this experience is going to last us a lifetime because we saw it with our own eyes instead of being advertised to. And thus, when again will we get another chance to see how the land looks like, before there are any planted coffee trees are planted in the ground?
If I have to put down in a few words: they are hard work, complex and that photos are not enough to justify what goes behind setting up a new farmland.
It took a village and a tremendous amount of time. And each person in the value chain has to be paid fairly for their labor.
Mr Toi is a man of vision. When he set out to do something, he is not afraid of failing, cause he is always ready to face the challenges head on. He is the guy of “go big or go home”. He and I shared struggles behind closed door and that makes our relationship special
I am gonna end the post with this quote “Creativity is the art of finding a new route to a known destination”.
This is exactly where my mindset is now toward the Robusta.

03/06/2023

18/05/2023

⛔️⛔️⚠️⚠️This post is full of APPRECIATION.
I know that the Specialty Coffee Expo has passed a few weeks ago. But I got myself tangled in logistics, and exporting the crop of 2023 out of Vietnam. After everything had settled, I began to write my gratitude to coffee people who have helped, supported and have patience with us since our beginning:

- Your presence in our journey means so much to us, I can probably write a thousand words about all we have learned from you. Our conversations on all aspects related to coffee can trace back all the way to 2016 and it never has stopped. Your time, flexibility, patience and support have always been there even when we feel our plan betrayed us.

Thank you to for helping us manage the brew bar so expertly. It turns out engineers make pretty good baristas 😄😛And a very spirited convo about the true definition of direct trade! 😆You are not bad at darts either 😌.

Thank you to for helping our world’s finest Robusta challenge come off without a hitch. 😊

Thank you and the team for taking your time to help us pick the best roast profiles to bring to the U.S.

Robert : we really appreciated the hardcover copy of your fabulous book. You showed us how to get the best out of a home machine. Good espresso can be affordable with a little finesse.🙏

And to the many, many other people who showed up at the booth, we appreciate that you know our name. We are honored to have been the recipient of so much curiosity and enthusiasm.
It took a village 🤗.

12/04/2023

📣📣📣 Portland Caphe and we decided to offer you a Free Cupping Event.
📍Location: 2601 NE Martin Luther King Jr, Portland.
When: Wednesday April 26, 2023.
⏰: 10am

Please join us for a FREE cupping event of Vietnamese 🇻🇳 Specialty Coffee with a total of 7 samples: 5 c.Arabica with different varieties and processes - and two C.Canephora with a Carbonic Maceration and Anaerobic Honey processes. Our Robusta producer will also be there to answer questions that you may have in regards to Robusta production. Looking forward to meeting anyone in person.
Rae

07/04/2023

Please join us for a blind cupping of World’s fine Robusta from around the world side by side with our Robusta at Booth #644, Sat, April 22 at 11am. And everyone is invited.
Why are we interested? 🤨🤝

We believe the environment matters when it comes to feedback. Our producers would like to know where they are and how their products are in comparison to the world stage. Hence, we wish to cultivate a supportive and informed community centered on the present reality and future prospects of Fine Grade Robusta.

4️⃣things we wish to reflect on:

1.The Nuances offered by cutting edge Canephora.

2.Where we truly stand in this market, beyond the hope and hype.

3.Improving botanical and processing quality, while being cost conscious.

4.Staying as honest as possible about the positive attributes of this bean, while acknowledging its current limitations with respect to Arabica!!!
Sending our biggest gratitude 🙏 to and for supporting the roasted beans.
We hope to see everyone there.

13/03/2023

Karmic Circle Coffee Trading would love to cup your fine Robusta from around the world side by side with our Robusta at Booth #644, Sunday, April 23rd at the Specialty Coffee Expo. And everyone is invited.
Why are we interested? 🤨🤝

We believe the environment matters when it comes to feedback. Our producers would like to know where they are and how their product is in comparison to the world stage. Hence, we wish to cultivate a supportive and informed community centered on the present reality and future prospects of Fine Grade Robusta.

4️⃣things we wish to reflect on:

1.The Nuances offered by cutting edge Canephora.

2.Where we truly stand in this market, beyond the hope and hype.

3.Improving botanical and processing quality, while reducing producer costs.

4.Staying as honest as possible about the positive attributes of this bean, while acknowledging its current limitations with respect to Arabica!!!

We believe that critical reflection is necessary for any professional job in the 21st century. In our opinion, the term critical reflection is a mindset that encompasses three essential skills: collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability. As a result, we can learn to adapt to differences in viewpoints and adjust our approach to better manage the precipitating circumstances in the future.

Help us tag others who you think may be interested

01/03/2023

We are officially a first-time exhibitor. With that being said, we will be heading to Portland in a couple of weeks with a few suitcases that are full of 2023 coffee.
Our booth number is 6️⃣4️⃣4️⃣.
Our plans are to offer samples both brew products and limited green coffee.
Details of our green samples and brewed products will be discussed in the upcoming weeks.
As always, we are looking FORWARD to meeting all of you in person.

28/02/2023

Farm: Vuong farm (Lac Duong region)
Process: Double Fermentation.
Variety: Red and Orange Bourbon
Quantity: 350kg (11 bags of 30kg)
Orange and Reb bourbon cherries are being washed and floaters are removed.
The first fermentation was natural anaerobic, whole cherries in plastic bags, sealed tight for 60 hrs. Then moved on to remove cherries skin and apply anaerobic process again for 24 hours
Samples available in a week !!!

18/02/2023

Drying is technical. Simply, leaving the coffee on the raising beds for hours won’t guarantee the optimal result.
Coffee producers must have a good sense of quantitative data collection. How many hours which process takes time to dry, when did it start? How is the weather of that day? Is it enough Sun to process natural or should wash process be more ideal?. Tons of questions.
Specialty coffee requires more control in any steps the producers do. And Drying is non exceptional. There will always be risks and challenges if the producers don’t design their own control system.

10/02/2023

Coffee cherries after picking have a very warm sensation especially when we put them into pile and getting it ready for sorting. Coffee producers said that warm sensation derives from its own fermentation process.
,

03/02/2023

“Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself” - John Dewey.
Learning about coffee has been proving to me the second phrase is more accurate than if education is a preparation for life.
Most of my background knowledge in coffee comes from the direct exposure of the sources. I don’t understand much until I watch and observe what the producers do, thus exchange conversations with experienced coffee roasters. In my opinion, a few things that separate the pro and the novice is background knowledge ( how much do we know about one particular subject) and how do we compose our questions.
Sorting definitely trains my eyes to be quick in eliminating the colors that are “not ripen”. However, it’s time consuming and labor intensive. Someone can stand in the heated green house for a long period of time, that acquires strength and endurance, I’d give a lot of credits for.
I also noticed some producers prefer to hand sorting than the machine sorting because they don’t trust that machine can outsmart our brains 🧠to eliminate the colors that are fallen in between ripen and green🧐
So, what could be a distinction between a deliberate practice coffee producers and the mediocre ones? - my answer is: how much detail oriented and attention they put in their works. And that I am very pleased to work with one of them. Mr-Toi, founder of Future Farm aka Robusta producer 🫶🏼
,

12/01/2023

When I purchased my first 300kg of green coffee back in 2018. I had absolutely no idea 🤷‍♀️ that coffee ripens gradually. My thoughts were simple back then.
But once I visited farms, those simple thoughts were replaced with new information and additional questions have risen.🫢🥹 I know I have entered the rabbit hole 🕳️ 🐇 . It is no longer a good feeling of, well, I pay my farmers/producers enough. I have fulfilled my wishes of being an equitable part of the coffee chain.
Now, having taken part in the harvest firsthand, I see the pickers, aka “unsung heroes” 🫤 are really the back bone of production. Because ripe coffee needs to be processed and new crop’s orders await to be fulfilled.

Time is limited and producers need as many hands as they possibly can to go through hectares of land.
Vietnam’s minimum salary is $213.59 a month for Vietnamese citizens according to my labor contract as of now 🙄. That may not be enough to get by in a household of four in the countryside, in my opinion. Similarly, if I got paid $7.25 an hour in the state of California. I would of course think about cutting corners and doing any tricks to NOT overwork myself for that little money. It’s the same analogy in picking cherries.
Money is one of the incentives that drive people’s behaviors beside knowledge. Most pickers in Vietnam are tribal and/or minorities. Their concept of Specialty coffee is limited and sometimes far out of reach. Hence, it’s not easy to ask them to do what we would like them to do.
The prices for cherries are varied: the higher the producers are paid, the more optimal the ripeness. Usually it goes from $2.35 to $0.85 a kg of cherries one picker picks for a day. But don’t forget to do the conversion 1kg cherries may generate 500gr or less of green. So here is one of many variables that explain why our coffee prices are high.

Low Cost=Unsustainable
🍒👌🏼

10/01/2023

Coffee flowers- of Canephora. 🌸🌸🌺🌺
Efficiency vs Resilience- which one will you pick? 🤨.
Flowers indicate a beginning of new crop. The beginning of a production cycle. However, if rain falls, it will wash off the flowers which is usually a sign of yield reduction.
Hence, Nature is reactive and less efficient than human according to Paul Nieuwenhuis from Cardiff University.
In fact, we are more efficient because it helps us more in tune with the environment and being less wasteful. But, that comes with a cost, our resilience will be compromised. Because being fast and efficient mean “the ability to use logical and evaluative thinking to critique and narrow ideas to ones best suited for given situations, or set criteria” (Fry, 2007, p.4). Aka convergent thinking. And, this leads to surface level mindset.
This is a huge discussion in the current U.S education system, especially from K-12 in regarding to how can we prepare students for the world that has not yet been created.
How does this relate to coffee? Well, your mindsets reflect your environment. And how you choose to value coffee. If you are interested in my educational research check out my website .com
References.
Fry, R. (2007). Convergent/Divergent creativity. Working With Different Modes of Creative Thought in Interdisciplinary Settings. American Society for Engineering Education. fil:///home/chronos/u-51f43586c0dc04b21a2f86808936bc1e50560fd4/MyFiles/Downloads/convergent-divergent-creativity.pdf

Address

Website

http://www.karmiccirclecoffeetrading.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Karmic Circle Coffee Trading posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Karmic Circle Coffee Trading:

Videos

Series #2: What are you most excited about the Vietnamese Specialty Coffee? . . One of a few people I have interacted and learned from among other professionals in coffee. . . This is Hana - founder of @96b.cafe.roastery, in Vietnam. . . With 7 years of experience in working directly in the Vietnamese coffee specialty scene here. I have no doubts that talking to her is one of the opportunity that I’m lucky to have. . . Her thoughts and insights resonated with my experiences of working in both countries : Vietnam and the U.S. . . 🎥: @saigonvideographer #singleorigincoffee #vietnam #greencoffeebeans #coffeeday #coffeevarieties

Nghia from @ca_phe_ru asks why we got involved with sourcing: Simple answer: Transparency in quality, and guaranteed financial equality through traceability. Our relationships ensure that our farmers and their staff are well compensated so they can invest in the scientific production of quality coffee year in and year out, regardless of a changing climate. Vietnam is a coffee powerhouse, and as Specialty coffee becomes more scarce, a rising Vietnam will soon stand ready to supply the world with specialty grade beans. Until then, avant-garde micro entrepreneurs will continue to lead the way.

One of a few people I have interacted and learned from among other professionals in coffee. . . This is Hana - founder of @96b.cafe.roastery, in Vietnam. Without the initiative introduction from @khanhchiiii I might not know her. So shout out to @khanhchiiii as well 🤗 . . With 7 years of experience in working directly in the Vietnamese coffee specialty scene here. I have no doubts that talking to her is one of the opportunity that I’m lucky to have. . . Her thoughts and insights are resonated with my experiences of selling Specialty green in the U.S. And that you will know why I’m gravitating toward THA1 and other developing hybrid coffees. 🌿🌿But, doesn’t mean that I’m forgetting other coffee’s varieties. I am still figuring out my own logistics to meet and greet other coffee producers. So hang tight 🏄 . . Like I said, being in the U.S won’t grant me any access to the most up to date coffee information that Vietnam has been currently working toward. . . #vietnam #coffeescene #dailycoffee #tha1 #arabica #canephora #finerrobusta #homophilly

Part 2 of 2: Fine grade Canephora questions: . How do you define Fine Robusta? . Can you walk us back to how Robusta was left behind in term of developing its quality? . Does Robusta really yield more? . Giving the soaring C market price for all coffee in the past year, do you feel Robusta has become more attractive to buyers? . Robusta is an ancestor of Arabica! . At this moment, I think words and knowledge matter when talking about Fine Robusta, the more you learn, the better you are in supporting it. I believe that Fine Robusta will be able to find its market where there are are open-minded, forward thinkers and especially those who see mistakes as the advantage for life long learning. Unlearn to Relearn

Part 1 of 2 Fine Grade Robusta: Sustainable Specialty Producer insights from @denisebustamantea of Ecuador’s @haciendalegrand. Check out their Washed Robusta at @paradiseroasters. It’s all we’ve drinking at Karmic!

Coffee origin perceptions based on The World System Theory: . . World 🌎 System Theory is a “macrosociological perspective that seeks to explain the dynamics of capitalist world economy as a total social system”. . . This theory has adopted some key factors of Dependency Theory which focuses on the relationship between economic periphery, core-periphery, and core nations. . . This system’s explanatory power concentrates mostly on labor, and exchange basic goods and raw materials that is vital to the lives within each of the circles. . . Source: Carlos A Martinez Vela. #worldsystems #core #periphery #capitalism #coffeeorigin

Have you done blind coffee tasting before? . . To be considered as Specialty Coffee, coffees must be scored at 80 points and up. . . As the scores go up and so the quality of flavor also is . . We are currently offering 3 samples with different cupping scores that range from low to high. (link in the bio for signup) . . I hope this project would give you a general understanding of why specialty coffee tends to cost more than commercial grade coffee. Alike quality of beef: Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial...Each of these standards has its own flavor, tastes and quality. Therefore, it comes with different price tags. And the same applied to coffee quality. . . . #specialtycoffees #qualitycoffee #coffeetime☕️ #educationmatters #prime #standards #blindtest #coffeefanatics #coffeespecialty

🇻🇳Specialty Vietnamese Coffee - As the 2021 season comes to a close. . . We love to brag about our farmers’ accomplishment and quality. . . Specialty coffee would not be considered special without special care being given to each and every coffee seed. . . We are awaiting a new set of coffees that will be arriving from Vietnam. . . This year, we will continue certifying the coffees with the help of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). . . Quality is always number one priority at Karmic Circle Coffee. . . 🎥: @saigonvideographer . . . #vietnam #coffeeculture #arabica #finerobusta #coffeecupping #specialtycoffeeroasters #specialtycoffees #coffeebeans #cqi #vietnamesecoffee #import #coffeeinsta #milling #thankyoufarmer #coffeeprocessing #crossculture #globalization #trading #newcrop2021

Drinking Vietnamese Fine Robusta: . Karmic Circle Style. 😊❄️. . . 🛑🛑🛑Guaranteed Not Bitter, No Sugar Needed. No Milk Needed 😉 How to: First: Brew the coffee your way. . . In this video, we brewed coffee by using pour over method of 17.5 gram of coarse grind coffee with 300 ml of water (heated to 200F) . . Then, we use a shaker, add some ice cubes + pour in the coffee and Shake it UP 🧊🧊💪. . . Enjoy . . Tag us if you brew it this way, we will feature your drink on our Instagram. . 🎶 Music: Play It Sam 🎤Musician: Philip E Morris #vietnamcoffee #brewedcoffee #shaker #espresso #coffeporn #coffegram #coffeshots #coffeeaddict #coffeeoftheday #coffeesession #coffeesesh #caffeine #americancoffee #coffeeathome #coffeevibes #icedcoffeerecipesgalore nosugarcoffee #instacoffee #robusta #colddrinks #icedcoffeerecipe #icedcoffeeaddict❄️☕

G0 LIVE!!!!!! This Sunday at 4pm PST. . . You will get to see a ritual morning in Hanoi and watch a real life experience that would not require airplane tickets. All you need is a stable, strong internet and smart devices. . . 1. Do Vietnamese people have shopping centers where they make one trip to buy products? . 2. Do they wake up drink coffee and make breakfast inside or outside their houses? . 3. What does Hanoi look like without tourism? . What are they eating or snacks? Does their donut look like our donuts 🍩?? . And many more... #vietnamese #vietnam #hanoifood #hanoi #virtualtour #interactiveexperience #donuts #travelblogger #travelphotography #travel #travelgram #southeastasia #traveladdict #oldquarterhanoi

🤔🤔🤔 Brewing with Vietnamese coffee filter using the Western POUR-OVER technique ⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️🤨 We think this will NOT give the results you seek, and local Vietnamese would also agree. I am both Vietnamese and American afterall😊 If you have traveled to Vietnam and and ordered a cup of traditional Vietnamese coffee ☕️: You will know that they brew STRONG. Yet the coffee remains SMOOTH. Join our MASTERCLASS. Learn to unlock the MAGIC of the PHIN. Link in BIO. See you there!. . . . #vietnamesecoffee #baristalife☕️ #strongcoffee #virtuallearning #robusta #robustafarmers #vietnam#specialtycoffee #challenge #misconception #brewingcoffee #doitright #doityourself #traditional #coffeefilter #brewingtechniques #santabarbara

The old-fahioned Phin is my personal favorite, and not just due to nostalgia. Trying to reinvent the Phin,is like trying to reinvent the wheel. But how boring my mornings would be, if I had gotten stuck in a routine, never exploring beyond this universal method I was taught for brewing coffee. When I moved to America, my coffee choices became nearly unlimited, and I experimented with them all. And I became mildly obsessed with the ritual of choreographing the perfect morning, to enjoy a moment or two of Zen, to carry me through the chaos of the workday. This meant pursuing the perfect cup. Hence, I always look for the chance to talk with brewing experts to improve my skills and knowledge. But when I met Hoang, I quickly realized that he held the answers to questions I long had pondered, but never quite mastered through trial and error alone. Yep perfect aroma of my “Phin Cafe” now takes me back to my favorite little Cafe in Saigon, everytime. . . . #vietnamesefood #vietnamesecoffee #phinfiltercoffee #brewingcoffee #vietnam#mondaymotivation #manualbrew #barista#coffeegram#baristainvietnam

Shortcuts

Address
Alerts
Contact The Business
Videos
Claim ownership or report listing
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?

Country:

City: