Vietnamese Coffee
One of 9 entries · Provenance 1000 — Vietnamese
Vietnam. Coffee was introduced to Vietnam by French colonists in 1857. Condensed milk replaced fresh milk (which was scarce and expensive) as the standard addition. The phin filter was developed as a simple, single-serve brewing device. Vietnam is now the world's second-largest coffee producer (predominantly Robusta).
Cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee) is made with a phin (Vietnamese metal drip filter) — coarsely ground Robusta-heavy coffee drips slowly through the filter directly into a glass of sweetened condensed milk. Ice is added after the coffee drips. The result is intensely strong, sweet, creamy, and served over ice — the most efficient coffee delivery system in Southeast Asia. It is street food, it is breakfast, it is the national beverage.
- Thai iced coffee (oliang — stronger, sometimes with corn and sesame — the Thai version); Singaporean kopi (coffee with condensed milk — the similar Singaporean coffee tradition); Italian espresso (espresso with no ice — the concentrated single-serve coffee the phin was adapted from).
Bánh mì or bánh cuốn (steamed rice crepe) for breakfast alongside — the sweet, cold, intensely caffeinated coffee is the standard street food breakfast pairing in Vietnam. The condensed milk sweetness and the bitter Robusta are a complete morning circuit.
Vietnamese coffee: Robusta-dominant blends (Trung Nguyen G7 or Highlands Coffee) — the Robusta gives the characteristic earthy, chocolatey, slightly rubbery note that Arabica cannot replicate. Chicory is sometimes added The phin filter: the metal filter creates a pressureless slow drip, not an espresso. Set the filter over the glass, add coffee, the press, and pour hot water (just below boiling) over the press Water temperature: 92-95C — poured slowly to 3/4 fill the phin. The coffee drips through in 4-6 minutes Sweetened condensed milk: 2-3 tablespoons at the bottom of the glass before the coffee drips — the hot coffee mixes with the condensed milk as it falls Ice: added after all the coffee has dripped through — pour the hot coffee-condensed milk mixture over the ice, stir, and drink immediately For cà phê trứng (egg coffee): egg yolk beaten with condensed milk and vanilla until thick, spooned over the black coffee as a foam
Using Arabica only: the flavour profile is wrong — Vietnamese coffee requires the earthy, bitter Robusta base Too-fine grind: the phin becomes blocked and the coffee does not drip through Adding ice before the coffee drips: dilutes the coffee and produces an under-strength result
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- 60ml Vietnamese dark roast coffee — medium-fine grind
- 180ml whole milk — room temperature
- 15g sweetened condensed milk
5 ingredients · 8 steps
Common Questions
Why does Vietnamese Coffee taste the way it does?
Bánh mì or bánh cuốn (steamed rice crepe) for breakfast alongside — the sweet, cold, intensely caffeinated coffee is the standard street food breakfast pairing in Vietnam. The condensed milk sweetness and the bitter Robusta are a complete morning circuit.
What are common mistakes when making Vietnamese Coffee?
Using Arabica only: the flavour profile is wrong — Vietnamese coffee requires the earthy, bitter Robusta base Too-fine grind: the phin becomes blocked and the coffee does not drip through Adding ice before the coffee drips: dilutes the coffee and produces an under-strength result
What dishes are similar to Vietnamese Coffee?
Thai iced coffee (oliang — stronger, sometimes with corn and sesame — the Thai version); Singaporean kopi (coffee with condensed milk — the similar Singaporean coffee tradition); Italian espresso (espresso with no ice — the concentrated single-serve coffee the phin was adapted from).