History and Types of Vietnamese Coffee

The Development of Vietnamese Coffee

In Vietnam, three main factorscontributed
to the rapid development of the coffee industry

1. Vietnam's Natural Environment
Vietnam possesses favorable climatic and
soil conditions for coffee cultivation.
Particularly, the western mountainous regions and
central coastal areas have fertile soil rich in basalt and
thick layers of red soil, coupled with a hot and humid climate,
which is advantageous for robusta coffee cultivation.
Vietnam's climate, divided into dry and wet seasons,
also benefits coffee cultivation.

2. Government Policies
Since reunification in 1975, the Vietnamese government
recognized the limitations of a socialist economy and
implemented an open-door economic policy
under state regulations.
This policy relaxation included easing regulations
on private property, land distribution, and investments,
facilitating rapid development in the coffee industry.

3. Price Increases in the Coffee Market
Due to climate issues in Brazil, the world's largest
coffee producer, international coffee prices surged in
1994 and 1997.
This led to higher global coffee prices, prompting
the expansion of investments in the coffee industry.
Vietnamese farmers expanded coffee cultivation
in response to these external factors, which also garnered
international attention for Vietnamese coffee.

Vietnamese Coffee Culture

Vietnam's most distinctive coffee culture
revolves around the use of a "coffee phin" filter.

The coffee phin filter is a coffee brewing tool
commonly found in Vietnam. It consists of a lid,
a perforated filter chamber, a filter press, and a saucer.
Its usage is quite straightforward: coffee grounds
are placed in the filter chamber (phin),
and then compressed with the filter press.
Next, the assembled coffee phin is placed on the saucer,
hot water is poured over it, and the lid is placed on top.
The coffee drips slowly through the small holes,
drop by drop, and is ready to be enjoyed.

We'll introduce various types of Vietnamese coffee
that can be made using the coffee phin filter.

Types of Vietnamese Coffee

Cà Phê Đá

This is the most basic form of Vietnamese coffee.
Using the described phin filter, strong coffee concentrates
similar to espresso are extracted
and can be consumed as is or diluted with water.

"Đá" means ice, and "cà phê đá" refers to iced black coffee
where the extracted black coffee is enjoyed with ice.
Additional ice can be added to adjust
bitterness and strength as desired.

Cà phê sữa đá

'Cà phê sữa đá' is Vietnamese iced condensed milk coffee.
'Sữa' in Vietnamese means condensed milk,
and 'đá' means ice. It's a coffee made by brewing coffee
with a phin filter and mixing it with condensed milk.
Compared to regular milk coffee, it's richer and sweeter.

When Vietnam was a French colony,
condensed milk became popular because it was easier
to store than fresh milk, and it was introduced to serve
French civilians and soldiers residing in Vietnam.

Cà Phê Dèn nóng

Similar to Cà Phê Đá, Cà Phê Dèn nóng refers to
Vietnamese hot black coffee made using a phin filter.
'Dèn' means black or dark, indicating black coffee,
and 'nóng' means hot.
It's typically enjoyed in northern Vietnam.

Vietnam predominantly cultivates robusta coffee beans,
which are known for their higher caffeine content.
Vietnamese black coffee tends to be stronger and
more bitter compared to Korean black coffee.
You can adjust its strength by adding hot water
according to your preference.

Cà phê sữa nóng

Cà phê sữa nóng is a warm Vietnamese condensed milk coffee.
It's prepared by placing a cup with condensed milk, then
adding a phin filter on top to brew the coffee over it.
After the coffee has brewed through, stir it slowly with
a spoon to enjoy the sweet taste of condensed milk coffee.

Cà phê trứng

'Trứng' means 'egg' in Vietnamese. 'Cà phê trứng'
is a creamy and smooth coffee made by mixing egg yolk,
sugar, condensed milk, and strong Vietnamese coffee.
These ingredients create a foam reminiscent of custard cream
with a velvety texture. While there is a layer of cream
on top of the coffee, it's best enjoyed by not mixing it and
slowly sipping to experience the deeper flavor profile
of cà phê trứng.

Coconut Coffee

It's a coffee made by combining strong, bitter coffee
with coconut milk and condensed milk.
The subtle aroma of coconut blends with the sweet taste
of condensed milk, creating a harmonious balance.
The addition of coconut milk provides a thick texture
and rich flavor profile to the coffee.