Meet our Mid-Valley: Lan Marberry showcases Vietnamese coffee in Salem and beyond

This is part of a weekly series introducing readers to individuals who are passionate about our Mid-Valley community.

The crisp coffee notes of nuts, chocolate and caramel permeates Bon Mua coffee roastery.

Its white walls are a stark contrast to the vegetation that surrounded owner Lan Marberry while growing up on a coffee farm in the central highlands of Vietnam.

Bon Mua and sister brand Salem Coffee Roaster are Marberry's ode to where she's from. Coffee is a vehicle for reconnecting with her family who she has built up her brands with.

The coffee business began in early 2017. The name Bon Mua is a mix of English and Vietnamese meaning "four seasons."

Marberry said she owes the idea of her business to her son, Kevin, as he was the one who wanted to see where she was from, and her father, Lan Nguyen, for his knowledge, hard work and support.

Home among the coffee plants

Marberry said she grew up among coffee plants and slept between trees separated at times by just a tarp.

In 2016, she brought her son back to the Đắk Lắk, a province of Vietnam located in the central highlands.

Her father still lived and worked on a farm at the time, growing Arabica beans. He asked her if she knew people who were drinking the coffee he was harvesting, but she didn't know.

Before she left Vietnam, she asked her father to send her some coffee, marking the beginning of Bon Mua.

When she returned to Oregon, she asked some coffee roasters around the state for support on beginning her operation. She first began selling the green coffee beans to various roasteries. Then, she found a facility and someone to roast the beans.

Marberry was able to secure the roasts on the shelves of E.Z. Orchards and Roth's by mid-2017. She and the Bon Mua team eventually expanded and moved into a new space in North Salem in November.

"Our operation is small, but our hearts are big," Marberry said.

She said with her father's connections in Vietnam (he has been out of the coffee fields for a while), they are able to have the coffee grown to the specifications and quality they desire. Growing coffee is an intricate science, while roasting is another skillset.

In retrospect, high-end specialty coffee from Vietnam was an unconventional business route because the country did not have a high reputation for coffee. It's only in the last few years that a surge in Vietnam-grown coffee purveyors have thrust their beans into the limelight. Marberry is not the only one in Oregon selling coffee from Vietnam, as other coffee companies such as Portland Ca Phe also offer Vietnam-grown coffee.

Heart of Arabica

Vietnam is most well known for the growth of Robusta beans, which make up a majority of coffee grown in the country. Arabica is also grown, but specifically in the highlands.

The Arabica bean is mild with low acidity. The flavor profile is primarily nutty, with some caramelized notes, but generally soft on the palette. The coffee is smooth and not as bitter.

In addition to sourcing the organic coffee beans from farms along Vietnam's central highlands, beans also come from the southwestern provinces and Marberry and Nguyen work directly with the farmers. The beans sourced are all organic and certified Fairtrade.

In addition to coffee, Bon Mua also sells peppercorns. The peppercorns are grown among the coffee trees. Its leaves create additional shade for the coffee beans. The peppercorn growth also acts as a natural pesticide to bugs, and is better than fertilizers for their operation.

"I think every farmer deserves a better life," Marberry said. "I'm grateful for my father who grew the coffee before, and the other farmers he connected with to be able to support now."

As part of giving back, Marberry established the Bon Mua Oregon Scholarship Foundation. A percentage of all profits go toward the fund. It has gone to various community, school and philanthropic nonprofits and causes.

Marberry and her primary team of seven work from Salem to Seattle. As the operation is primarily direct-to-consumer and direct-to-store, you can purchase the coffee online or in natural grocery chains.

A coffee for Salem

Just as Bon Mua was coming off celebrating five years in business, Marberry said she was inspired to seek out other farmers and share their stories.

"I acknowledge that there are other farmers that have not been heard or able to share their stories, and I have the opportunity to lift up other lives of coffee growers like my father," Marberry said. "I want to share their coffee growing experience, especially with the Salem community, and invest into the (coffee growers) from Africa and South America like we have in Vietnam."

Salem Coffee Roaster was born to highlight the "beauty of the Willamette Valley," Marberry said, as each blend of beans is named after various Salem neighborhoods. The beans are certified organic and Fairtrade.

Marberry said she's grateful for the support of her small team and the folks around Salem, Portland and beyond for being able to showcase Vietnamese coffee.

The North Salem space is open for scheduled coffee tastings, and appointments can be made by calling 503-881-9225. To inquire or get more info, check out the website, bonmuaoregon.com.

Address: 1793 Silverton Road, Suite 130

If you have an idea for someone we should profile for this series, please email Statesman Journal senior news editor Alia Beard Rau at arau@gannett.com

Em Chan covers food and dining at the Statesman Journal. You can reach her at echan@gannett.com, follow her on Twitter @catchuptoemily or see what she's eating on Instagram @sikfanmai.ah.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Lan Marberry showcases Vietnamese coffee in Salem and beyond