Vietnamese Coffee – What It Is And How To Make It

The list of individuals who can’t stay without a cup of coffee keeps on growing every day. Coffee is among the universal drinks taken by all genders, races, ages, and other defining characters. 

As a coffee lover, you’ll want to experience the different methods of preparing coffee.  Among the popular brewing methods is Vietnamese iced coffee and Vietnamese egg coffee. You can do all these methods without investing expensively in your kitchen or coffee bar.

Vietnamese Iced coffee is a bit different from regular iced coffee. This method of preparation, like its name, originated from Vietnam, and its popularity is spreading fast worldwide. 

Its end product is a bit stronger than the iced coffee, and you can serve it with different dairy products. Not many brewing options will work perfectly with dairy products.

This Vietnamese coffee guide will discuss how to make Vietnamese coffee, its origin, methods, ingredients, and benefits. To learn more, be sure to read this guide to the end.

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The Origin of Vietnamese Coffee

Generally, the coffee brew has been a favorite drink to many Vietnamese nationals since its introduction in the 1850s. Currently, it is among the most consumed beverages in the world and a significant import between countries.

Before then, there were no dairy products, so coffee lovers sweetened the drink with condensed milk or raw egg yolk. You can use many options to brew coffee, including the now-famous Vietnamese iced and egg coffee.

In Vietnam, coffee is part of life. The country is the second producer of this product, providing over 1.73 million tones every year. 

The coffee beans produced in Vietnamese are Robusta, which is twice as strong in caffeine content as other types.  It has a thick, lingering taste, and it’s high in acidity.  When over-roasted and blended in a denser brew, these beans give out a distinctive flavor that keeps anyone wanting more.

Most Vietnamese tend to take their coffee brew slowly. Choosing the right time and how to take the coffee is itself an art, which some individuals have mastered very well. Since the brew is that good, they will always want it to continue enjoying the taste.  

Vietnamese coffee is not taken or prepared hurriedly as this destroys its taste. When making it, you have to watch it keenly as it drips from the Vietnamese coffee press. Besides this, you will have to wait for it for a few minutes as it brews. 

While not many people prepare coffee this way, this is the most common method of preparing Vietnamese coffee.  You’ll find many people sitting and waiting patiently for the coffee to brew in some of the Vietnamese densely populated cities.

Whether you are served cold or hot coffee in Vietnamese, it has to contain the condensed milk. The sugary condensed milk is one of the signatures of Vietnamese coffee, and the taste won’t be perfect without it. 

The sweetened condensed milk acts as a counterbalance to the strong, dark-roasted taste of coffee beans.

What is Vietnamese Iced Coffee?

Vietnamese iced coffee might be new to many individuals, even the experienced coffee connoisseurs.

As its name suggests, you only make this coffee brew using the traditional Vietnamese coffee maker.  After you are done making the coffee, you mix it with some sweetened condensed milk and then serve it with ice cubes.

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Vietnamese Iced coffee has a more pungent taste than some of the coffee options. It is a perfect blend for individuals who love their coffee strong and black. However, that’s not the only way you can enjoy this great-tasting coffee. 

Ingredients Used to Prepare Vietnamese Iced Coffee

It is crucial to have all the requirements ready when preparing Vietnamese coffee.  Some Vietnamese coffee recipe items are readily available in your kitchen. So you won’t have to break the bank to purchase them. It uses simple ingredients and items.  To prepare this beverage you’ll need:

• Sweetened condensed milk
• Dark or medium-dark roasted coffee coarse ground
• Vietnamese coffee press

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• Hot water
• Ice cubes

It is essential to use the items listed to prepare an authentic drink and one that you will enjoy with family or friends.

This then means that you cannot substitute the coffee beans, the condensed milk, hot water, or ice cubes. You have to gather them as listed before beginning the brewing process.

How to Make the Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Once you have gathered all the items listed above, you can now prepare to make the iced coffee.  The first step will involve brewing the coffee before going ahead to make it. Here is how to make Vietnamese coffee.

Brewing the Coffee

The brewing process involved preparing your coffee for the final preparation process. Here is how to brew your coffee.

        Step 1: Scoop two tablespoons of dark or medium dark coarse ground coffee and add it to your Vietnamese coffee press.  You can wet the ground coffee with a bit of hot water.

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        Step 2: After putting in the mixture, screw the press tightly to ensure your coffee is well packed and secured in the machine.

        Step 3: Boil the required amount of water and put it into the coffee press.  Ensure to cover it with its hat and let the coffee brew.

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        Step 4: Wait until the coffee finishes brewing. The Vietnamese coffee press drips at a slow rate, meaning you have to give it time to complete the brewing process – usually three to five minutes.

        Step 5: After the brewing process, stir the coffee well.

One thing you need to note is that the duration of the brewing process greatly determines the taste and flavor of your iced coffee. The longer it takes, the stronger the taste will be and vice versa.

It’s essential to taste different timings and choose your preferred taste. Once brewing is complete, you can now make the ultimate Vietnamese iced coffee.

Making the Vietnamese Iced Coffee

The making of the coffee is not a complicated process, and anyone can do it as long as they master the measurements. Here is the Vietnamese coffee recipe.

        Step 1: Take an empty glass and add two tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk.

         Step 2: Add your brewed coffee to this glass and stir the mixture. If using the Vietnamese machine, you can pour the coffee straight from the presser. This step is much easier than using manual pouring. 

        Step 3: Stir the mixture and ensure it blends well.

        Step 4: once everything settles, get another glass with ice cubes and pour the mixture into it.

        Step 5: After a short while, your iced coffee will be ready to drink. 

The preparation, making of your coffee, and cleaning can take you approximately ten minutes if done well. With this short process, you can prepare your iced coffee anytime, even when you are in a hurry, provided you have all the essentials.

In the end, you will enjoy a great tasting, highly-flavored, and rich glass of coffee that’s perfect for a sunny or summer day. 

What is Vietnamese Egg Coffee?

Many people wonder what Vietnamese egg coffee is, thinking it is a scrambled egg taken with coffee. If you’ve never tasted Vietnamese egg coffee, this will be your chance to do so. It’s time now to try the egg coffee recipe.

The first egg coffee got brewed in the 1940s after one of the coffee brewers ran short of the condensed milk. Although this drink is not a favorite to many, some people still take it today in Vietnam.

It’s one of the best traditional drinks in the suburbs of Hanoi in Vietnam. It is good to understand that raw eggs can cause food-borne diseases.  Also, you need to take the coffee immediately when it is ready. You cannot store it for future use.

You can prepare the Vietnamese egg coffee by beating raw egg yolk and condensed milk until it becomes creamy. Once done, you can pour the mixture over your iced coffee, made through the process discussed above. 

This mixture is not that sweet, but many people love its taste. Here are the steps in preparing it.

Ingredients For The Foam

You will require the below items to make your egg yolk foam.

• Two egg yolks – large
• 0.5 cup sweetened yolk
• A teaspoonful of vanilla extract

Ingredients For The Coffee

To have coffee that will blend well with the egg yolk, you will require:

• 60 grams of French roasted coffee that’s finely ground
• 4 cups of hot water
• Cocoa powder

How To Prepare Your Vietnamese Egg Coffee

Once you gather all your ingredients, it is time to prepare your egg coffee.  Here are the steps.

        Step 1: Mix the egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla in a bowl using a mixer.  The mixing process can take up to ten minutes. Ensure the end product looks like a cake batter and must not be frothy.  To ensure it’s ready for your coffee, take a small spoon of it and put it in a glass of water. The proper foam should float in water. 

        Step 2: Brew your coffee with any of your desired recipes—Reserve half a cup of the coffee which you will use later in this recipe.

        Step 3: Pour your ready coffee into four to six cups or as desired. You can have each cup in a hot water bath to prolong its warmth.

        Step 4: Put one or two full spoons of the egg foam in each cup. Ensure it is gently done.

        Step 5: Pour a bit of the reserved coffee into each cup and dust with cocoa powder as desired.  Your coffee will be ready. Serve it immediately.

Why Take Vietnamese Coffee?

As discussed, Vietnamese coffee is distinctive because of its beans and method of preparation.  However, its benefits don’t differ that much from other types of coffee.  Here are some benefits of this coffee brew.

• Prevents heart diseases: Consuming two to four cups of coffee helps to boost your heart health. Drinking coffee helps to protect arteries from inflammation. Coffee also contains chromogenic acid, which is good for metabolism.
• Contains antioxidants: Coffee, including the Vietnamese, contains antioxidants that help to prevent free radicals.
• Alleviates depression: Coffee contains caffeine which helps to stimulate the brain, thus relieving depression, anxiety, and loss of energy. Caffeine also stimulates various neurotransmitters, which help to regulate mood.
• Helps in weight loss:  When you take coffee at least 30 minutes before the workout, it will stimulate your nervous system, making you do more exercises.  The stimulated nervous system also increases the metabolism rate, which helps break down the fat cells and convert them into energy.
• Lowers cancer risk: men who drink coffee daily have lower chances of contracting prostate cancer. Experts recommend taking at least four cups of coffee each day to reduce cancer risks.
• Avoid the oxidation process: Coffee contains oxidation elements, which help relieve pain caused by arthritis and cancer. It also neutralizes free radicals, which goes in hand with weight gain.
• Suitable for liver health: Drinking coffee reduces the chances of getting cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.   It is a good remedy for alcohol addicts.
• Lengthens lifespan: Individuals who regularly drink coffee have an extended lifespan than those who do not. The reason is that it reduces or eliminates most lifestyle diseases.

Why You Should Add Vietnamese Coffee To Your List Of Preferred Brews

Now that you’ve learnt how Vietnamese iced coffee and Vietnamese egg coffee are made and the benefits, it’s time you tried them in your home. 

All these processes are straightforward and do not require any additions in your kitchen other than the Vietnamese coffee press, which you might have.

If you are a coffee lover, you will probably try the Vietnamese coffee recipe, and love it.  The final result will be a sweet, aromatic, and rich beverage that offers you so many benefits as listed above. 

Lastly, the iced coffee is a bit strong. You have to understand how to take it if you are not used to a strong flavored, iced coffee.  We hope this guide will be helpful as you take your coffee preparation skills to higher levels.