How to prepare Vietnamese coffee
Many parts of the world have their own customs when it comes to drinking coffee. We will encounter a different way of standard coffee preparation in sunny Italy, differently coffee will be served to us in the United States, and still other customs we will learn when we go to Vietnam.
Where does coffee come from in Vietnam?
We associate Vietnam mainly with tea, after all, it is one of the top five exporters of the dried product. However, in Vietnam itself, tea is not as popular as coffee. It is coffee that is enjoyed by Vietnamese who sit in cafes on every street corner.
But where did coffee come from in Vietnam in the first place? Coffee was brought to the area in colonial times by the French, who longed for flavors from Europe. The Vietnamese adopted coffee production and drinking into their customs, but adapted these customs in their own way and developed their own rich coffee-drinking culture. Over time, Vietnam also became one of the largest coffee exporters.
Den - or strong black coffee
The vast majority of coffee grown in Vietnam is Robusta. This variety of coffee is characterized by a strong flavor and high caffeine content (you can read more about the differences between Arabica and Robusta here). It is mainly the use of these beans that Vietnamese coffee owes its unique flavor.
The way it is prepared is also not insignificant. Traditionally, a brewer called a phin, invented by the French as a traveling version of the French-press. Phin is placed on a mug or glass, pour ground coffee into it, sieve and pour a little water, and then set aside for a while to let the coffee swell. After about 3-5 minutes, the coffee is poured again, this time with the desired amount of water. Phin covers with a lid and waits for the water to slowly seep through the ground coffee and fill the glass.
Coffee prepared with the help of phin Drink it both hot and by pouring it over ice cubes you get a simple, but very expressive iced coffee.
You don't have phin? Nothing wrong, you will get a similar effect using a dripper.
Nau - coffee full of sweets
Nau is prepared in the same way as Den, with the difference that sweet condensed milk is poured into the bottom of the glass before starting to prepare the coffee, and then the rest of the coffee is prepared normally. Thanks to the slow dripping of coffee from the dripper, the brew does not mix with the milk and forms two clearly separated layers.
The amount of condensed milk in Nau can be freely dosed depending on whether one prefers coffee with only a hint of sweetness and full strength, or whether one craves a sweet coffee dessert.
The French are accustomed to drinking coffee with a little milk, but in the late 19th century in Vietnam, fresh milk was not always available, and it spoiled rather quickly in the warm climate. Sweetened condensed milk turned out to be a good alternative. So good, in fact, that Nau has become a tradition, and it is this method of preparation that we usually expect when ordering Vietnamese-style coffee.
Still not enough for you?
For those who want to try even more flavors, there are many more unexpected suggestions among Vietnamese ways to make coffee. You can try coffee with butter, which brings out additional flavors in the brew, or with avocado, which adds deliciousness. In some areas to Nau a bit of salt is added, which makes the drink reminiscent of salted caramel flavor, and in many cafes coffee is popular with the addition of creamy koglu-moglu, which creates a sweet foam on top of the drink.
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