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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Vietnam is a paradise on earth; think of vibrant food, a warm, tropical climate, and friendly people. Food and drinks here are a big deal, meaning even the most straightforward street-food snacks are always fresh, colorful and full of flavor.
If there’s something Vietnamese people love is their coffee. After all, they’re the second-largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil. Vietnam grows the lovely dark Robusta beans — the source of the most intense coffee on the planet.
Although the French colonists left their love for coffee in the Southeast Asian country, Vietnam has its own way of making coffee, and that’s a strong, sweet and creamy coffee. Allow me to introduce you to the Cà Phê Sữa Dá or Vietnamese Iced Coffee. You only need three ingredients a strongly brewed coffee, sweetened condensed milk and ice.
You might want to find authentic Vietnamese coffee, but if you can’t find it, then use any Arabica-Robusta blend. Make sure it’s heavily roasted — think Spanish, Espresso or Italian roast. Don’t worry; your barista will know what you mean.
I like using a stovetop moka coffee pot to make two espresso shots, but ystovetop moka coffee pot to make two espresso shots, but you can use drip coffee or even colou can use drip coffee or even cold brew. What you want is strong coffee. Fear not; it will get diluted with the ice and the condensed milk, so you won’t end up all jumpy.
Condensed milk is rarely seen in Western coffee shops, but it’s madly popular in Vietnam, both for hot and cold coffee. Just get a can of the regular stuff.
Now here are a few tips for the perfect Vietnamese iced coffee. Start with cold coffee. If your coffee is too hot, it will melt the ice and dilute the whole thing. You also want to serve the coffee over the condensed milk and not the other way around — aim for a magical, cloudy effect. You can achieve it by gently stirring the ingredients.
There’s an alternative, though, the shaken iced coffee. This one is foamy and palate coating. Use the same ingredients but shake this beauty in a cocktail shaker or a jar with a lid before serving.
Brew your espresso and let it cool to room temperature or cool down with an ice bath.
Fill your glass with ice and pour the sweetened condensed milk.
Pour over the coffee and stir gently to create a cloudy effect.
Alternatively, you can pour the ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mason jar with a lid and shake for a frothy drink.
