As a Travel Chef, I get excited about connecting with a place and locals through their food and culture. Meeting local people and cooking with them has transformed the way I travel and has allowed me to make deeper connections with a place and it’s culture. When traveling to Vietnam last year, I was very excited try all the most delicious coffee drinks.
On my first day in Vietnam, I took a coffee making class. It was held in the cutest cafe and I learned so much. Not only did we make and taste a lot of coffee drinks, we also learned about the food culture and how it impacts the lives of the local people.
Recipes are shared below so you can try your hand at making four Popular Vietnamese Coffee drinks at home too.
Vietnamese Coffee Culture
Coffee in Vietnam is more than just a drink, it’s a way of life
Coffee in Vietnam is more than just a drink, it’s woven into the social fabric, with people preferring to meet friends at cafes for coffee. Vietnamese people would rather go out to a café than make coffee at their house. Even at their houses and shops, people live spilling into the street, which fosters the sense of community that is central to the culture of Vietnam.
A typical breakfast is Pho and then going to a Coffee Shop for coffee.
The variety of coffee bean used in Vietnam is Robusta, which is less fruity than Arabica
The French Influence
In the mid 19th Century, French missionaries introduced coffee to Vietnam. The French established coffee plantations in the Central Highlands, which has a unique climate and soil perfect for cultivating coffee. In the 1980’s, after the slow economy during the Vietnam War, the government made a large investment in the coffee industry. Vietnam is now the second largest coffee exporter in the world, after Brazil.
Milk was scarce and kept for the soldiers, so as an alternative, they tried egg in their coffee and it changed everything.
Coffee Brewing Method
Using a Traditional Phin Filter
The traditional method of making coffee in Vietnam is with a small metal filter, called a Phin filter. It is a type of ‘pour over’ and can take up to 30 minutes to percolate. Because of this slow brewing process, the coffee has a very concentrated flavor.
4 Popular Vietnamese Coffee Drinks
And Recipes to Make them at Home
White Coffee
White Coffee Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Condensed Milk
2 Tbsp Water
Ice
60ml Black Coffee
How to Make a White Coffee:
1. Add condensed milk to cup with equal water and a handful of ice. Stir to mix.
2. Add coffee to another cup. Froth with a coffee whisk. Add frothed coffee to condensed milk. It will striate itself
Egg Coffee
Egg Coffee Ingredients:
120 ml Black Coffee
1 Tbsp Condensed Milk
2 Egg yolks + spoon of Egg white*
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla (or a drop of Rum/Whiskey)**
Chocolate sauce for decoration
How to Make Egg Coffee:
1. Add Black Coffee and Condensed Milk to cup. Mix until combined
2. Whisk Egg for 6-8 minutes until frothy (and slightly lighter color)
3. Add Sugar and Vanilla to Egg, whisk until dissolved. Pour over Coffee
*Add some of the egg white so it tastes eggier and has more volume when whisked
**1-2 drops vodka / cup helps in digestion
Egg coffee is served hot and tastes like a Tiramisù in a drink, especially if you top it was some chocolate sauce
Coconut Coffee
Coconut Coffee Ingredients:
60ml Black Coffee
Ice
2 Tbsp Coconut Cream
2 Tbsp Condensed Milk
1 Tbsp Heavy Cream (whipping cream)
1 tsp Milk Powder (optional)
How to Make Coconut Coffee:
1. Pour Coffee in glass
2. Using a powerful blender, blend Ice, Condensed Milk, Heavy Cream, and Coconut Milk (and Milk Powder if you are using it)
3. Pour Blended Mixture over Coffee
Salt Coffee
Salt Coffee Ingredients:
60ml Black Coffee
2 Tbsp Condensed Milk
20ml Heavy Cream (whipping cream)
pinch of salt (Himalayan pink salt or sea salt)
20ml Milk
2 tsp Milk Powder (optional)
How to Make Salt Coffee:
1. Pour Black Coffee and Condensed Milk into a glass. Add Ice and Stir
2. Froth Heavy Cream and Salt (and Milk Powder if using). Then mix in Milk. Pour over coffee
Salt coffee was invented in Hue (near Hoi An) after Covid and is my absolute favorite Vietnamese coffee drink. I prefer savory to sweet any day and this just hits the spot, especially in the hot and humid climate.
Other Fig Tree Travels content you might like:
Do you also travel to experience the culture, the coffee culture?
Connecting with a place through it’s food culture: Vietnam edition
Things I loved in Hoi An, Vietnam
You team up with 7 strangers to make the most delicious Vietnamese feast
Experience other Delicious Coffee Cultures: How to Order Coffee in Italy
Top 4 Vietnamese Coffee Drinks and how to make them at home:
