Vietnam is the world’s second largest coffee producer after Brazil, and almost everyone there drinks coffee. Vietnamese coffee is strong, bitter and sweet at the same time. The most famous is cà phê sữa đá, iced coffee with condensed milk, now served by most Vietnamese bistros in Europe.
What makes Vietnamese coffee different
- Robusta: Vietnam grows mainly robusta, which has more caffeine and a stronger, more bitter taste than arabica.
- Roasting: beans are roasted dark, sometimes with a little butter or sugar, giving chocolatey notes.
- The phin filter: a small metal dripper placed directly on the cup. Coffee drips through slowly, in 4 to 5 minutes.
- Condensed milk: used instead of fresh milk and sugar, historically because fresh milk spoiled quickly in the tropical climate.
Types of Vietnamese coffee
- Cà phê sữa đá: iced coffee with condensed milk, the most popular
- Cà phê đen đá: black iced coffee, usually sweetened
- Cà phê sữa nóng: hot coffee with condensed milk
- Cà phê trứng: Hanoi egg coffee with a cream of whipped yolks and condensed milk
- Bạc xỉu: a milder Saigon version with more milk
- Cà phê muối: salt coffee with salted cream, a newer trend from Huế
How to make Vietnamese coffee at home
You need
- a phin filter (from Vietnamese shops or online)
- 2 to 3 tbsp coarsely ground Vietnamese coffee
- 1 to 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- hot water (about 95 °C) and ice
Method
- Pour condensed milk into a glass.
- Set the phin on the glass, add the coffee and press lightly with the inner filter.
- Add a splash of water and let it bloom for 30 seconds.
- Fill with water, cover and let it drip slowly.
- Stir the coffee into the milk. For cà phê sữa đá, pour it over a glass full of ice.
Where to buy Vietnamese coffee
Ground Vietnamese coffee, phin filters and condensed milk are sold in Asian grocery stores and at Sapa market. Ready-made coffee is on the menu of almost every bistro in Vietnamese restaurants in Prague. It goes perfectly with bánh mì.
FAQ
Is Vietnamese coffee stronger than espresso?
Thanks to robusta, it usually has more caffeine per cup than an arabica espresso.
Can I use unsweetened condensed milk?
You can, but the typical taste of Vietnamese coffee comes from sweetened condensed milk.