Travelling is a great education about the importance and beauty of diversity and culture identity. There’s nothing better than seeing a different culture, experiencing other people’s approaches to life and most importantly searching for good coffee. Where do I find all the wonderful oddities of coffee?
The answer is simple.
There is a corner in the world, a small country that is the second largest coffee producing nation after Brazil – Vietnam. If you visit Vietnam, coffee is THE thing that you definitely shouldn’t skip, especially if you have a genuine appreciation for this beverage. In this post, we’ll suggest to you 5 amazing must-try coffees in Vietnam:
1. Egg Coffee (Ca phe trung)
Yes, absolutely, the most famous coffee of our country – egg coffee has to be on your top list. This drink is made by whipping raw egg yolks with condensed milk to create a creamy, frothy concoction on top of traditional strong black Vietnamese coffee. It was invented by Mr. Giang – a Hanoian in 1946. “Egg and coffee really?” – You hesitated. But trust us…many tourists keep coming back to Vietnam just for this special drink. You’ll be pleasantly surprised once you tried, though. The topping has a taste similar to crème brûlée or tiramisu. Yummo. So what are you waiting for?
2. Coconut Coffee (Ca phe dua)
And the second rank belongs to coconut coffee – yippee! You’re obviously in a tropical country where coconut trees seem to be everywhere so why not try yummy coconut coffee right? It’s one of the simplest and best combinations. This tropical drink is a mixture of drip coffee, crushed ice, coconut cream and condensed milk – the ultimate cool down on a hot day. What a treat!
3. Drip – filter coffee (Ca phe phin)
Alright. If you’re a brave person and you want the strongest coffee on the planet, this cup of hot drip filter coffee is best suited for you. You can’t rush but have to wait for every drop of this quintessential coffee from the filter to your glass. It has kick, and that’s what we love about it. It’s not pretending to be anything but a grown-up coffee. Its sweet scent and strong bitter taste will stay forever in your mind.
Drip filter coffee isn’t just a drink. It’s a representation of Vietnamese characteristic and lifestyle, people live slowly and enjoy every second of life. Good things take time. Remember that? You’ll find yourself reading a good book and enjoying this coffee on an autumn Sunday morning. Pure bliss.
4. Condensed Milk Coffee (Ca phe sua da)
Honestly, not every Vietnamese can drink drip – filter coffee because of its strong bitterness. So people add condensed milk and sometimes with ice. And once they did…dear reader, it was a magical experience. Every sip was akin to a trip to heaven (probably). Condensed milk coffee was born and became the top 10 best coffee in the world according to Bloomberg. At a press conference in Hanoi on May 23 2016, President Obama said that he wanted to try condensed milk coffee in Vietnam. Need we say more?
5. Bac xiu
Still too bitter for your sweet tooth? Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. Let us introduce a weaker version of condensed milk coffee called ‘Bac Xiu’. Its full name is “bac tay xiu phe” (‘bac’ = white, ‘tay’ = an empty cup, “xiu” = a bit and “phe”=coffee). Altogether, it means a cup of hot condensed milk with a bit of coffee. It has more milk and way less caffeine. While you’d be ashamed to serve it to guests, you’d happily scrape the bottom of the mug by yourself after kicking the guests out.
Friends, it’s time to kick off your coffee adventure in Vietnam. Would be rather nice to be guided by an experienced local, don’t you think? If you feel the same way, simply head over to our private tours page and have a looksee.