An Ultimate Guide To A Flavorful Journey Of Vietnamese Coffee
Apart from stealing the heart of food enthusiasts by the endless list of mouthwatering street food, a food tour in Vietnam will hardly be completed without experiencing the fascinating coffee culture of Vietnamese people. Let’s imagine after stuffing your belly with a generous bowl of “bun cha,” what could be better than sipping a cup of hot, fragrant coffee on a sidewalk and watching people go by?!
These followings are believed to provide coffee lovers with an insight into the most popular and symbolic types of Vietnamese coffee.
Egg Coffee – A Peculiar Yet Harmonious Combination Of Egg And Coffee
First time setting foot on the beautiful capital city and wondering where to savor the best local coffee among countless tempting choices out there, ranging from humble sidewalk vendors to luxurious shops? Head straight to “Café Giảng” – a modest coffee shop nestled peacefully in the heart of the Old Quarter – and get ready to be pampered by an exceptional drink – Egg coffee. Although this symbolic drink is served in every corner of Hanoi, but “Giảng” is the first place that gave birth to it.
You’ll be taken by surprise at how easy-peasy Egg coffee is created from common local ingredients – a combination of egg whites and coffee and resulted in a delicate and fragrant drink! Egg coffee is contained in a small cup, and a spoon is given to diners to enjoy the creamy bubbles above like an “appetizer” before diving into the main feast – the aromatic coffee below.
For keeping the drink consistently warm, the servers put the coffee cups into a bowl of hot water. Thanks to a layer of greasy cream made from eggs on top, the taste of condensed coffee becomes more vibrant and more flavorful.
Mr. Nguyen Van Giang – the founder of Giảng coffee –came up with the formula for this signature drink when working as a bartender at Metropole Hotel in 1946. At the time, due to the lack of milk, he discovered the use of eggs to give the coffee an interesting texture.
While learning the process of making Western cappuccino coffee, Mr. Giang had quietly been searching for another cheaper alternative, especially when fresh milk was a scarce commodity in Hanoi at that time. Egg yolk came into handy for creating the same desired effect as genuine cappuccino.
After the eggs are perfectly whipped, the coffee, which is filtered through a coffee pot, is boiled and poured directly into the cup to make the eggs rise up, creating an irresistible golden brown color made of eggs foam and coffee.
Apart from the two main ingredients, egg and coffee, Mr. Giang secretly added several other ingredients into egg yolks before mixing them up. A relative of Mr. Giang revealed that putting caramel into the mixture would bring a richer and sweeter taste. Others believe butter and condensed milk are two indispensable parts of making egg coffee.
However, the exact recipe has been kept a secret entirely by many generations to make Giang coffee stand out from numerous egg coffee shops in Hanoi. Another truth lies in the quality of coffee as well as the perfect ratio between coffee and eggs, creating a rare and delicious cup of Egg coffee.
The best way to savor the distinctive taste of this drink is to tilt the cup slightly to one side to have the taste of both coffee and egg. The alluring aroma of coffee and the creamy bubbles of egg whites on top have never failed to startle coffee addicted by its bizarre yet wonderful combination.
Drink Filter Coffee Like A Local
There is no doubt that instant coffee is gaining more popularity due to its convenience, easy-to-make process, and economic aspect. Nevertheless, for coffee lovers, there are hardly any instant coffee packages on the market nowadays, which can replace the quality of coffee flavor extracted from the Vietnamese filtering method. So, let’s make a small comparison in terms of quality and taste between filter coffee and instant one to spot out the differences.
Dubbed as one of the finest coffee extraction methods by many international travel magazines, filter coffee easily leaves coffee addicts in awe right at the first sip.
The process of enjoying filter coffee is described as a journey full of emotions and flavors. You take a sip and feel the pleasant sweetness right away. Then your mouth becomes slightly dry like the tide recedes and leaves the soft bitter taste behind. Take a second sip, and suddenly nothing in the world can cease your happiness.
The most notable difference between instant coffee and filter coffee lies in the flavor. The freshest coffee is often roasted until the color of coffee beans turn a warmly brown.
The temperature when extracting coffee also plays a crucial part in creating a perfect cup of filter coffee. Whoever has fallen in love with the traditional methods of making this special beverage – rinsing coffee-pot with warm water at the standard heat of about 80-90 degrees – agrees this is the most appropriate way to filter out the valuable essence of the coffee.
Feel The Warmth Of The Southern People Through Cloth-filter Coffee
Located behind Thiec Market in District 11 (HCMC), Mr. Thanh’s small coffee shop has neither signboards nor tables or chairs, but it remains well-known among the coffee lover community. There is no exaggeration to say that people are lured to this tiny corner by the tempting fragrance and, thus, contribute greatly to make it a not-to-miss destination on a food tour in Ho Chi Minh City.
Being a coffee addict, Mr. Luu Nhan Thanh decided to open his own business 50 years ago when he was only making coffee for himself and his neighbors. Similar to making tea, the handmade coffee-making process is to put the coffee powder in a thin cloth-filter placed on a clay cooking pot, then pour boiling water into it. After a while, the coffee is warmed up in an aluminum pot, and placed on a stove before serving the guests.
Not only is cloth-filter coffee famous for its special taste, but it is also sold at an affordable price, making it a “national drink” of every walk of life. Not as condensed or heavily flavored as other modern styles of coffee making, Cloth-filter coffee has its own secret of keeping customers by the natural aroma radiating from the coffee kettle in a small humble kitchen.
Chase Off Summer Heat With A Refreshing Iced Coffee With Milk
Vietnamese iced coffee was honored to be ranked high among the best 15 cups of coffee in the world by the prestigious travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler.
This typical drink of the tropical region is favorably welcomed in regions that share the same climate zone with Vietnam. “Don’t forget to buy a coffee-pot in Vietnam so that when you return home, you can always enjoy the special taste of iced coffee”- advised by coffee experts from Condé magazine.
The process of making iced coffee is easy-peasy, convenient, and time-saving, especially for those always in a hurry and need a “kick” of wakefulness to start a new day. Roasted coffee is put into the traditional brewing tool – coffee pot- and condensed milk and ice are added later based on the taster’s choice and interest. Leisurely sipping a cup of iced coffee under the hot summer sun is going to become a highlight of your food tour in Vietnam.
Trace Back The Origin of Coffee in Buon Ma Thuot
If you are a true coffee enthusiast, there would be a great mistake not to visit Buon Ma Thuot – the coffee capital of Vietnam – to admire the rich and distinctive coffee flavors and learn about the history of this globally famous beverage. From the 100% pure and well-chosen coffee, plus a special recipe and roasting process, Buon Ma Thuot satisfies even the most demanding drinkers by its unique, charming, and wonderful taste.
There is a variety of coffee types in Buon Ma Thuot for you to explore, from iced coffee with a pleasant sweetness of condensed milk to black coffee standing out by the unmistakable bitterness and amber color.
Even the way of savoring Buon Ma Thuot coffee reveals many exciting insights into the city’s coffee culture. There is nothing short of high-quality in a small cup of Ban Me coffee so that coffee addicts are highly recommended to take one sip after another at a leisurely pace and spend a fair amount of time fully absorbing its amazing taste.
The Flavorful Coffee Journey Has Finally Come To An End
Coffee has always played an indispensable role in the Vietnamese lifestyle and culture. An ultimate guide to different symbolic coffee types is just what you need to make the most out of your Vietnam food tour!
