Vietnamese Coffee: History, Recipe, Culture & Places to Try

Vietnamese Coffee (Milk Coffee and Black Coffee) is considered to be one of the best in the world. It always brings a strong impression on tourists when they arrive in Vietnam, similar to experiencing the Japanese tea culture. The people here know how to enjoy, cherish and view coffee culture as an integral part of daily life. In Asia, not many countries have such culture.

History of Vietnamese Café started since the beginning of the 20th century, coffee production has contributed to a significant source of income for the Vietnamese economy. In the late 1990s, Vietnam became the second largest coffee producer in the world, after Brazil. Vietnam produces more Robusta Beans while Brazil produces more Arabica Brand.

Vietnam is a coffee paradise with many different options for drinkers. With the richness of ingredients, Vietnamese coffee drinking culture has been highly developed with many unique ways. The habit of drinking coffee every day has become very popular with Vietnamese people.

Vietnamese Coffee Culture:

The strong coffee flavor has become familiar in the daily life of Vietnamese people. The sophistication of Vietnamese coffee is reflected in the unique culture and style of coffee enjoyment of Vietnamese people, especially when you stay in Hanoi Old Quarter and Hanoi French Quarter.

Vietnamese people do not have a fixed time to drink coffee, can drink in the early morning, noon, or go to coffee in the evening and enjoy coffee as a culture: sip and think. Sitting next to a cup of coffee, sipping small sips while reading newspapers, listening to music. Talking with friends, with business partners, or sitting at work, and also to reflect on life, people, ...

Coffee shops in Vietnam also have a lot of styles, from small shops in alleys, where sidewalks (people call coffee toads) to large luxury cafes with sophisticated designs from classic to modern. Nowadays, in addition to enjoying coffee at the shop, take-away form is also gradually popular, especially for office workers or busy people.

Coffee filter is considered the most favorite drink of Vietnamese people. The feeling of sitting and waiting for each drop of coffee to fall is really interesting. It's even more enjoyable to sip its fruits. Maybe a cup of hot black coffee, maybe a little milk. Drink hot or drink ice depending on the preference of each person.

People can guess the personality and culture of each region through the way coffee is made and each person's drinking preferences. Apart from Weasel CoffeeLet learn about some of the Most Popular Types/Brands of Coffee in Vietnam:

- Vietnamese Weasel Coffee (Cà Phê Chồn) - This is also known as mink coffee, which is the type of coffee processed from the waste of Weasels. When the coffee beans are ripen, they feed the weasel. The sense of smell that the Weasel will choose the delicious coffee beans will release the outer shell and only swallow the meat and seeds inside. Price of this coffee is one of the most expensive brands in the World.

- Cà Phê Đen (Black Coffee) – This also call Filtered Cofffee, and is refers to Vietnamese black coffee, and that can be added with sugar when drinking. Ca phe means “coffee” while den means “black”. You can have it either hot (nong) or iced (da), so ca phe den nong (hot black coffee) or ca phe den da (iced black coffee).

- Cà Phê Nâu (Cà Phê Sữa in the South) – This refers to Filtered Coffee made with condensed milk. Northern Vietnamese say CA PHE NAU (Brown Coffee) while people from the south refer to it as CA PHE SUA. Nau means “brown”, which probably refers to the color of the coffee after it’s been lightened with milk, while sua means “milk”. Like ca phe den, you can also have it either hot or iced. The most famous Condensed Milk Coffee in Vietnam is Cà Phê Sữa Đá Sài Gòn (Saigon Condensed Milk Coffee with Ice).

- Cà Phê Trứng (Vietnamese Egg Coffee) – This is arguably the most famous coffee creation in Hanoi. It refers to egg coffee made with heavily whisked egg yolks. It’s said to have been invented at Cafe Giang in Hanoi. According to the current owner of the shop, history of egg coffee was satred in the late 1940s in Hanoi, stemming from the scarcity of fresh milk at that time, so his father, the first owner of the shop, using egg yolk as an alternative, later, this is Hanoi's specialty.

- Bạc Xỉu – This is basically the same as Coffee with Milk, but made with less coffee and more condensed milk. It’s referred to as “white coffee” and as far as I can tell, it’s always served with ice. From what I understand, it’s mostly enjoyed in the south and central of Vietnam, and may or may not contain coconut milk.

- Cà Phê Dừa (Coconut Coffee) – Dua means “coconut” so this refers to coffee made with condensed and coconut milk. Served either hot or cold, I guess it’s like a coconut bac xiu but made with more coffee and less milk. The popular Cong Ca Phe chain makes a type of frozen coconut coffee called ca phe cot dua. It’s absolutely delicious, but more like a milkshake than coffee.

- Cà Phê Sữa Chua – This refers to coffee with yogurt, sua chua meaning “yogurt”. Yogurt Coffee is a strange drink, but that is very delicious. Mild bitterness mixed with sweet and sour taste will stimulate your senses when enjoying it! You can make with filter coffee, as that will give more aroma and flavor.

- Cà Phê Muối (Salted Coffee) – Like Egg Coffee, Salted Coffee is one of the more interesting coffee varieties in Vietnam. It means “salty coffee” and refers to coffee made with sea salt and fermented milk. Salted coffee was first known in Hue Vietnam.

This coffee flavor is said to be a special recipe of a garden cafe located on Nguyen Luong Bang street. Until now, many people still do not have much information about the true origin as well as the inspiration to create this unique way of making coffee. Where to Buy and Best Local Coffee Places You Should Try When Traveling in Vietnam? Check our list below to see:

Best Local Coffee Shops in Hanoi Vietnam:

1. Cafe Dinh:

• Address: 13 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi Old Quarter
• Operating Hours: 7AM-9:30PM, daily

2. Cong Ca Phe:

• Address: Cong Ca Phe currently has 26 branches in Hanoi.
• Operating Hours: Varies per branch

3. Tang Tret Cosmo Cafe:

• Address: 10 Khúc Hạo, Điện Bàn, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam
• Operating Hours: 8AM-10:30PM, daily

4. Hidden Gem Coffee:

• Address: 3B Hàng Tre (in the alley), Hanoi Old Quarter, Vietnam
• Operating Hours: 8AM-11PM, daily

5. Cafe Giang:

• Address: 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi Old Quarter
• Operating Hours: 7AM-10PM, daily

Best Local Coffee Shops in Hue, Vietnam:

1. Cà Phê Muối (Salted Coffee):

• Address 1: No 10 Nguyen Luong Bang, Hue City, Vietnam
• Address 2: 142 Dang Thai Than, Hue City, Vietnam
• Opening time: 6:30am - 10pm.

2. Laph coffee:

• Address: 4 Truong Dinh, Hue City, Vietnam
• Opening time: 6am - 10pm.

3. Tân café:

• Address 1: 14 Pham Hong Thai, Hue City, Vietnam
• Address 2: 25 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Hue City, Vietnam
• Address 3: 86 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hue City, Vietnam
• Opening time: 6am - 10pm.

4. Vy Da Xua Café:

• Address: No. 131 Nguyen Sinh Cung, Vy Da, Hue City
• Opening hours: 7:00 – 22:00

5. 1976 Café:

• Address 1: No. 23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Hue City
• Address 2: No. 12 Hai Trieu, An Cuu, Hue City
• Opening hours: 8:00 – 22:00.

6. Hue Cafe Roastery:

• Address: No. 131 Huynh Thuc Khang, Hue City.
• Opening hours: 06:30 – 11:30 | 15:30 – 22:00.

7. La Gare Bistro Coffee:

• Address: No. 14 Phan Chu Trinh, Vinh Ninh, Hue City
• Opening hours: 6:30 – 22:30.

Best Local Coffee Shops in Hoi An Ancient Town, Vietnam:

1. Reaching Out Tea House:

• Address: 131 Trần Phú Street, Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
• Operating Hours: 8:30AM-9PM, Mon-Fri / 9:30AM-7PM, Sat-Sun

2. Phin Espresso & Drip (Original):

• Address: 132/7 Trần Phú, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
• Operating Hours: 8AM-5:30PM, daily

3. Hoi An Roastery:

• Address: Multiple branches
• Operating Hours: Varies per branch

4. The Espresso Station:

• Address: 28/2 Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
• Operating Hours: 7:30AM-5PM, daily

5. Hoi An Coffee Hub:

• Address: Hẻm 11 Nguyễn Thái Học, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam 56000, Vietnam
• Operating Hours: 7AM-10PM, daily

Best Local Coffee Shops in Saigon, Vietnam:

1. Barista Collective:

• Address: 41 Hồ Xuân Hương, Phường 6, Quận 3, Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam
• Operating Hours: 7AM-10PM, daily

2. The Coffee House:

• Address: Multiple branches in Saigon
• Operating Hours: Varies per branch

3. THE CAFE APARTMENTS:

• Address: 42 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

4. Saigon Oi:

• Address: 42 Nguyễn Huệ, Bến Nghé, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City
• Operating Hours: 9AM-10PM, daily

5. Whisfee Cafe:

• Address: 14 Tôn Thất Đạm, Nguyễn Thái Bình, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City
• Operating Hours: 9AM-11PM, daily

Adventure Journey

See Also:

• Things to Know When Traveling in Vietnam during TET
• Meaning of Lucky Money Envelope for TET in Viet Nam
• Best Time to Travel to Viet Nam to Avoid Bad Weather
• The List of 10 Best Beaches for Your Viet Nam Holiday
• The List of 10 Best Places You Should Visit in Viet Nam
• The 10 Best Vietnamese Foods You Should Never Miss
• Viet Nam Mid Autumn Festival - All You Need to Know