You might be surprised that Vietnam ranks second in the world in producing coffee seeds. Annual exports reach 1.5 million tons, mainly Robusta. As the kingdom of coffee, the locals have created various Vietnamese coffees you may love.
Here, Vietnamdrive introduces the popular versions of coffee and suggestions on where to find them in this beautiful country.
1. Filter Coffee
The top of the list is always filter coffee, which has a bitter taste and an intense sweetness from milk or sugar. It is also known as black coffee or brown coffee. This drink awakens the taste buds of the drinkers, creating a refreshing feeling when sipping it.
Almost every coffee shop has this drink, so it’s easy to find a cup for you. Sometimes, Vietnamese people also buy coffee powder to make a cup for themselves at home, but enjoying filtered coffee at the shop with friends is more popular.
You will certainly only be able to drink some of this strong coffee cup at a time. Slowly, sip by sip, and taste it to absorb the unique flavor of coffee mixed with sweetness.
2. Egg Coffee
Whenever the unique drink of Hanoi City is mentioned, almost everyone mentions egg coffee, which has a creamy flavor and a slightly fishy taste.
You can barely imagine how to drink this coffee with egg yolks. However, at many egg coffee shops in Hanoi, you will be surprised by the many fans who regularly enjoy this unique drink. Egg yolks are added sugar, vanilla flavor (sometimes cinnamon), and a little cocoa. All are whipped up and added coffee to serve guests.
Giang Coffee (39 Nguen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi) is the place to stop. Ordering coffee and chatting with friends is an unforgettable experience in this city.
3. Salt Coffee
Salt coffee was born later than the above types; however, it is highly coveted by many people who have the opportunity to taste it.
A little cream, salt, condensed milk, and fresh milk are mixed in specific proportions and whipped. Then, it is poured into a cup of milk coffee, becoming salted coffee.
Created by a young couple in Hue City, locals and visitors quickly embrace salted coffee as a typical drink here. Gradually, almost any shop here can masterfully make you a tasty cup of coffee.
The address that I like to visit is Phinholic Café at 65 Ben Nghe Street, Hue City, Vietnam. This small coffee shop can make tasty egg coffee for you to try.
4. Coconut Coffee
Coconut coffee, a combination of coffee, coconut milk, and crushed ice, offers a new experience to those who enjoy it.
This drink has a strong coffee aroma and a sweet and fatty coconut taste. It deserves to be one of the tasty drinks in Vietnam on hot days.
Coconut coffee suits men and women because caffeine is no longer too heavy.
Most coffee shops sell this drink, and its prices range from 30,000 VND to 70,000 VND, depending on the cafe’s style.
5. Avocado Coffee
The seemingly strange combination of avocado and coffee can create an eye-catching drink called Avocado Coffee.
This one includes avocado, fresh milk, condensed milk, and, of course, coffee. Coffee is made with a filter or brewed by a machine, depending on each person’s taste. Other ingredients are pureed, like avocado smoothies. Then, it is poured into the already-prepared coffee cup.
Enjoy this unique beverage. You can use a straw to drink coffee and eat avocado at the same time. Stir gently every time you taste so the avocado and coffee can blend.
This drink is of unknown origin. Some people think it comes from the Central Highlands, both the “coffee capital” and a place where many avocados are grown. From there, the country can find a cup of avocado coffee at selling-drink shops.
6. Saigon Coffee
With the unique characteristics of hot weather in Ho Chi Minh City, the coffee version here is made to suit the local taste better. More ice makes the coffee more dilute, creating a delicious cup of Saigon coffee.
Like filter coffee, Saigon coffee has two types: black ice coffee (mixed with sugar) and brown coffee (mixed with milk). Each type has its charm, and you can choose one based on your taste.
Everywhere, from sidewalk cafes to luxury coffee shops, Saigon Coffee is ready to serve you all day. Prices range from 20,000 VND in a pavement shop to 80,000 VND in luxury or at 5-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City.
7. Bat Xiu
The creation has created a variety of drinks to suit users’ diverse tastes better. Bat Xiu becomes another outstanding version of traditional coffee when more milk is added to the coffee cup.
A lot of milk creates an extreme sweetness. If you abstain from sweets, you need to pay attention to this feature.
Many people believe that Bat Xiu also comes from the Chinese Town of Ho Chi Minh City, where many Chinese live and trade.
Because the recipe is simple, any coffee shop will have this beverage, as mentioned above. You can choose a hot cup for cold days or cool ice for hot weather.
8. Sponge Coffee
Sponge coffee is also known as three-tiered coffee because you can see the cup is divided into three layers with three different colors, including white milk, black coffee, and seductive brown foam coffee. Usually, it’s served with ice, of course.
Three-tier coffee is not as sweet as Bat Xiu but sweeter than ordinary filter coffee.
The origin of this coffee version is unknown; only that it was the creation of a talented bartender.
Creating three-tier coffee cups is relatively tricky, so not all coffee shops sell Sponge coffee. However, it is easier to find this coffee in a few shops in the Central and Southern regions (such as in Ho Chi Minh City) than in the North of Vietnam.
Besides tasting the flavorful street foods in Vietnam, you will be surprised by thousands of coffee shops, from sidewalk style to luxury cafes, from dine-in shops to takeaway ones.
Enjoying a typical coffee in each region can give you more experience while exploring Vietnamese cuisine. If you come to Hanoi, try Egg Coffee; come to Hue; try Salted Coffee; come to Ho Chi Minh City; try Saigon Coffee or Bat Xiu.
However, you need to pay attention to the types of ice used with it. Most of them are made from tap water. Although locals often drink coffee with ice, there is no problem. However, be careful if your digestive system is not as it should be.
Take your time, and do not drink the whole cup at once even though you see very little coffee- few but very bold. Take a sip slowly to feel the difference in the coffee-drinking culture in this beautiful country.
