For Italian and a lot other countries in the world, espresso, cappuccino, latte and other espresso based may be their best coffee, but for Vietnamese people, the best coffee is the traditional iced coffee.

What is Vietnam’s iced coffee?

The development of coffee is undeniable and non-stop. And in Vietnam–the world’s second largest coffee producer and exporter, this development is even more incredible and rapidly raising. As a long-term coffee cultivating country, the coffee drinking culture of Vietnamese people has been existed for hundred years. Even though there were plenty of new coffee brewing methods and new coffee drinks immigrating into the country, the traditional way of making coffee and the iced coffee is never out of fashion in this country. It is always the most popular and the best coffee drink of Vietnamese people.

Vietnam’s best iced coffee is also named ca phe sua da.

Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk (or cà phê sữa đá [also known as ca phe sua da] in Vietnamese) is a coffee beverage used Vietnamese coffee ground and brewed in a special small metal French drip filter (called “Phin” in Vietnamese). The local people usually called this coffee as “ca phe phin”. The method to brew Vietnamese iced coffee is quite simple, using the one of the simplest coffee machine in the world. However, its flavor is extremely amazing and unforgettable.

How to make best iced coffee with Vietnamese phin filter?

To brew Vietnamese best iced coffee, you need a filter (“phin”), coffee ground, hot water, ice and maybe condensed milk (if you prefer sweetness in your coffee). You pour condensed milk into the coffee cup. You put a suitable dose of coffee ground into the filter and use the screw down spreader to compress the coffee ground, and then pour hot water into the filter which is place on the mouth of the coffee cup. And you just sit and wait until every drop of coffee run down to the cup. After all the coffee is down to the cup, you stir the mixture of condensed milk and dark coffee and put it into another iced cup. Or if you prefer bitter dark coffee, then don’t use condensed milk.

To make Vietnam’s best iced coffee, you need a phin filter.

To make Vietnam’s iced coffee, you need Robusta first.

Vietnamese best iced coffee has very strongly intense flavor. Its coffee liquid has super dark in color. The main coffee beans that Vietnamese people grow are coffee Robusta. And their traditional best iced coffee also uses coffee Robusta as the main type (the old version of the coffee used 100% of coffee Robusta). Robusta coffee is famous for their “robust” flavor. The iced coffee is also featured with extremely bitter taste, combined with cold ice, which is very impressive for the first-time-drinker. If the coffee cup is added with condensed milk, it will be super bitter with super sweet and cool feeling of ice, creating an unforgettable taste. Robusta coffee may not favorable by international coffee drinkers around the world because of its high caffeine content and too strong flavor; however, it is the most favorite coffee flavor to Vietnamese people.

Iced coffee is a way of life in Vietnam.

Drinking Vietnam’s traditional best iced coffee is an everyday habit of Vietnamese people, which has become a daily culture across the country. You can see this coffee is served everywhere, from street coffee shops with simple plastic seats on the pavements or a corner of streets to luxurious café and restaurants. The way to serve and drink this coffee is as simple as the way to brew it; however, its flavor is just as amazing as any worldwide coffee.

The entering of foreign coffee drinks is rapidly increasing with the appearance of global brands such as Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, etc. However, the position of Vietnamese iced coffee in Vietnamese’s heart will never be changed. And it is not only the best coffee with Vietnamese people, but also become more and more favorable coffee with some foreigners. In fact, there are numerous of tourists consider “trying Vietnamese iced coffee” as their must-do experience when traveling Vietnam.

To sum up, iced coffee is very popular in tropical countries like Vietnam. Thus, it is easy to understand why this coffee recipe is widely consumed in the country. In fact, iced coffee with condensed milk has been become Vietnamese specialty. This best iced coffee is a way of life and is a Vietnam-featured drink to foreign visitors. Meanwhile, to make a cup of best iced coffee is not difficult. You can make a cup of your own at home for sure.