vietnameseiced.coffee

Recipes

The drinks of Vietnamese coffee

Vietnamese coffee is strong enough that most of its famous drinks are, at heart, different solutions to the same problem: what do you put with it? Condensed milk, whipped egg yolk, coconut cream, salted foam, yogurt. Each answer became its own drink.

A tall glass of Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, half-stirred into caramel ribbons over ice.

Cà phê sữa đá

Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk

8 minEasy
A short glass of very dark Vietnamese black iced coffee packed with ice, condensation running down the sides.

Cà phê đen đá

Vietnamese black iced coffee

6 minEasy
A small glass of Hanoi egg coffee topped with thick pale golden whipped egg foam, sitting in a bowl of hot water.

Cà phê trứng

Vietnamese egg coffee

15 minMedium
A tall glass of pale milky bạc xỉu with ice, much lighter in colour than standard Vietnamese iced coffee.

Bạc xỉu

Vietnamese milk coffee, milk-forward

8 minEasy
A glass of Vietnamese coconut coffee — thick white frozen coconut slush with dark coffee bleeding down through it.

Cà phê dừa

Vietnamese coconut coffee

10 minEasy
A glass of Vietnamese salt coffee with a thick pale salted cream foam sitting distinctly on top of dark coffee.

Cà phê muối

Vietnamese salt coffee

12 minMedium
A small thick glass of hot Vietnamese milk coffee with a stainless phin still dripping on top.

Cà phê sữa nóng

Hot Vietnamese milk coffee

7 minEasy
A glass layered with thick white set yogurt, crushed ice and dark coffee poured over the top.

Sữa chua cà phê

Vietnamese yogurt coffee

9 minEasy

Side by side

Which one should you make?

The difference between these drinks is not the coffee — it is nearly always the same phin-brewed robusta. It is what goes in with it.

DrinkCoffeeHow much coffee flavour reaches youDairyCondensed milk, fresh milk or creamSweetnessAs normally servedAlso in the glassUsually served
Cà phê sữa đáVietnamese iced coffee with condensed milkSweetened condensed milkIced, tall glass
Cà phê đen đáVietnamese black iced coffeeNothing, or a little sugarIced, short glass
Cà phê trứngVietnamese egg coffeeWhipped egg yolk and condensed milkHot, in a water bath
Bạc xỉuVietnamese milk coffee, milk-forwardCondensed milk and fresh or evaporated milkIced or hot
Cà phê dừaVietnamese coconut coffeeBlended frozen coconut creamIced, blended
Cà phê muốiVietnamese salt coffeeSalted whipped cream foamIced, layered
Cà phê sữa nóngHot Vietnamese milk coffeeSweetened condensed milkHot, small glass
Sữa chua cà phêVietnamese yogurt coffeeSet yogurtIced, layered

The scales describe how these drinks are normally made in Vietnam, not a fixed recipe. Every café sweetens differently, and most will adjust if you ask.