Vietnamese ijskoffie

Ca phe sua da is Vietnam's national drink in all but name. Every day, millions of Vietnamese start their morning perched on tiny plastic stools at sidewalk cafes, watching dark coffee drip slowly through a small stainless-steel phin filter balanced atop their glass. The coffee used is typically a strong Robusta blend, often with a touch of butter or vanilla roasted in, giving it a bold, almost chocolatey intensity that stands up perfectly to the thick layer of sweetened condensed milk waiting at the bottom of the glass. Once the drip is complete, everything gets stirred together and poured over a tall glass of ice. The result is a drink that is simultaneously bitter, sweet, creamy, and bracingly cold. Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, and the vast majority of that output is Robusta beans grown in the Central Highlands, making this drink inseparable from the country's agricultural identity.

Regio: Nationwide (originated with French colonial influence)

Coffee was introduced to Vietnam by French colonists in 1857, with the first plantations established near the central highland city of Buon Ma Thuot. Because fresh milk was scarce and expensive in tropical Vietnam, locals adapted by using sweetened condensed milk, which was shelf-stable and widely available. The phin filter, a small single-serving drip device, evolved as a distinctly Vietnamese brewing method. By the mid-20th century, ca phe sua da had become the nation's default coffee order, and the tradition of lingering at sidewalk cafes became deeply embedded in Vietnamese daily life.

A traditional ca phe sua da starts with 2-3 tablespoons of coarsely ground dark-roast Vietnamese coffee (typically Robusta or a Robusta-Arabica blend) placed into a phin filter. The phin consists of a small perforated plate, a brewing chamber, a press screen, and a cap. About 20-30ml of sweetened condensed milk is added to the bottom of a heat-resistant glass. The phin is placed on top of the glass, a small amount of hot water is added to bloom the grounds for 20 seconds, then the chamber is filled with near-boiling water (about 160ml). The coffee drips through slowly over 4-6 minutes. Once complete, the coffee and condensed milk are stirred together thoroughly, then poured into a separate tall glass filled with ice.

Coffee culture in Vietnam is deeply social and unhurried. The Vietnamese phrase 'di ca phe' (go for coffee) really means 'let's hang out.' Business deals, dates, family catch-ups, and morning routines all revolve around the cafe. Unlike the grab-and-go culture of Western coffee chains, Vietnamese coffee is meant to be sipped slowly. You will notice that most cafes have no Wi-Fi pressure to leave - people sit for hours. In the south, iced coffee dominates year-round due to the heat, while northerners sometimes switch to hot coffee (nong) during the cooler winter months. The plastic stool sidewalk cafe is a quintessential Vietnamese institution that transcends class - executives and motorbike drivers sit side by side.