You may be surprised to know that Vietnam is a country that is big on coffee. Maybe they don’t have brands that are household names all across the world, but you can be sure that coffee, or Cà Phê Sữa, is available everywhere in Vietnam.
French Heritage
The coffee culture in Vietnam dates back to the French colonial period during the 19th century. The brew quickly gained popularity among the locals, and growing coffee became a main livelihood for the country. Vietnam is second to Brazil as the world’s biggest coffee producers and exporters, with their plantations located in the country’s central highlands.
Uniquely Vietnamese
Despite its origins, the Vietnamese have adapted the brew for their own. Characteristically, Vietnamese coffee is brewed in a single-cup drip brewer called phin. French roast is favored as the ideal grind, and condensed milk is used in place of sugar and creamer/milk. Historically, this is so because milk was hard to come by during those days and spoils easily. Hot coffee is preferred as a morning beverage, while its iced variant is often drank during the warmer hours of the day. Generally, the drink is a mix of strong and sweet that can keep you going for hours on end.
Well known brands used are Highlands Coffee, QCafe and Trung Nguyen a.k.a. the Vietnamese Starbucks. The New Orleans coffee brand Cafe du Mond is a popular choice for the Vietnamese in the United States. When they first came to the country, Vietnamese immigrants couldn’t avail of coffee similar to theirs, and the chicory infused Cafe du Mond was the closest match. Vietnam produced coffees are mostly medium roast and do not have chicory.
How to Prepare Vietnamese Coffee
Blogger Bryan Huy Vu wrote some very concise steps on how to make Vietnamese coffee, thanks to his father who has great memories of drinking this concoction back home in Vietnam. His version is mostly for the iced kind, but can be easily adapted for hot brews. Of course, aside from the coffee and condensed milk, you will need a Vietnamese coffee filter.
High Beam Films has a nifty video tutorial about making Vietnamese Coffee.
If you don’t have a Vietnamese coffee filter, don’t worry. You can make your own version of this brew with a French press or a coffee drip cup and a filter. Of course, the more authentic your ingredients and tools are, the better, right?
Starbucks Invasion
Early this 2013, the Seattle-based Starbucks coffee company announced that they’re opening up a branch in Ho Chi Minh City. While Starbucks is a powerhouse in other parts of the world, the locals are confident that their coffee can hold up against the brand. Vietnamese coffee prices are more affordable and widely available, and make use of beans that create a stronger brew, just the way the locals like it. Only time will tell how this coffee battle will go.
In the meantime, I’m off to try my hand on making these. It’s been awhile since my last cup of Vietnamese coffee. Cheers!
