When I first visited Vietnam in the mid-90s it was impossible to get any coffee except the traditional dark roast dripped into a cup of sweetened condensed milk from a small aluminium filter called a phin. As I’ve never taken sugar in my coffee it took some getting used to … but once I discovered the iced version I was a lot happier. Like so many Ingredients, coffee was introduced to Vietnam by the French. Now Vietnam is second only to Brazil in coffee production, with huge coffee plantations throughout the central highlands. Vietnamese coffee is made from the Robusta bean (unlike Italian which is Arabica), in Australia you can order it online from Tram at The Coffee Bitch (she’ll even send you a free phin with it)!
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground Vietnamese coffee
- Boiling water
- Ice cubes
- 2 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
Method
- Place coffee in a Vietnamese coffee filter over a cup and use the tamper to press it down firmly.
- Add about 2 teaspoons of boiling water and leave it for 30 seconds or so to soak in.
- Add boiling water to the top of the filter, cover with the lid and leave it for 3-5 minutes to drip through.
- Place plenty of ice into a tall glass.
- Add condensed milk.
- Pour coffee over the ice cubes and serve.
For more inspiration, check out A Month of Vietnamese Inspired by Mark Jensen
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