To me, Vietnamese coffee is one of the unsung heroes in the world of java. When brewed properly, Vietnamese coffee is rich and dark with an amazing smoothness on the palate.
Family and friends, well-aware of my coffee habit, happily enable my addiction by always bringing me coffee from their travels around the world; receiving coffee from Vietnam is always a thrill to me, and I’ve tried a variety of beans from the country.
However, a trip to the country is not necessary to enjoy its coffee- good quality Vietnamese coffee beans are available online. For example, there’s Trung Nguyen‘s online store, which delivers in the United States, and carries most of the popular brand’s products. *If you do choose to order from Trung Nguyen, I highly recommend their Creative Three (Arabica Se) beans, with its old-world flavor, mild acidity, and balanced aroma.
Once you have Vietnamese coffee on hand, you might want to use a traditional Vietnamese Coffee Brewer, a unique little gizmo that looks like this:
The brewer is inexpensive- the smallest size, a 6oz set, is listed for less than five bucks on the Trung Nguyen website. And it’s worth having- although I’ve made Vietnamese coffee in regular Espresso machines, French Presses, and even regular Drip Machines, with great results. Like I said, I’m a fan.
To make classic Vietnamese coffee, mix some condensed milk into your brew. And that’s it!
No, really- it’s that easy. You might want to cool the mixture down somewhat, and add ice for one of the most delicious iced coffees ever.
Originally posted on September 25, 2014 @ 9:10 pm