Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)

A simple recipe for Vietnamese Iced Coffee, (Cà Phê Sữa Đá) which features a rich, strong chicory coffee slowly dripped through a phin filter into sweetened condensed milk.

There's nothing more simple than a cup of a good coffee.

That is, until you've had Vietnamese-style coffee.

If you've been to a Vietnamese phở restaurant, you'll probably have seen someone order cà phê sữa da (Vietnamese iced coffee).

What is Vietnamese coffee?

Vietnamese iced coffee, also known as cà phê sữa da is a rich, strong dark coffee drink sweetened with condensed milk.

The method in which the coffee is brewed is similar to a drip coffee.

Hot coffee slowly drips through a stainless steel filter (phin), with condensed milk on the bottom.

Cà phê sữa da is served on ice, however it can be served hot, which is known as cà phê sữa nóng.

History of coffee in Vietnam

Coffee was first introduced to Vietnam in 1857 by a French Catholic priest.

However, it wasn't until after 1986 that Vietnam became one of the largest producers of coffee.

Vietnam produces the Robusta variety of coffee bean, rather than the more commonly known Arabica.

Robusta coffee beans are more bitter and used as a filler for instant coffee.

However, Robusta beans are a hardier variety and is less susceptible to disease, with larger crop yields.

What type of coffee to use?

Use any freshly ground dark roast coffee, such as Café du Monde coffee, which contains coffee and chicory.

Chicory has a similar flavor to coffee, but contains no caffeine.

Trung Nguyen is also another brand that is quite popular.

Substitutions

If you don't have Vietnamese coffee beans on hand, you can use:

• strong dark roast coffee
• French roast coffee
• 1-2 shots of espresso

What does Vietnamese coffee taste like?

Vietnamese coffee tastes intensely sweet, milky and bitter at the same time.

Equipment you'll need

• Vietnamese coffee phin: a small stainless steel drip filter; you can find it in Vietnamese or Asian grocery stores

How the Vietnamese coffee filter works

What makes the traditional Vietnamese coffee filter different than a pour-over (eg. Chemex) or French press is that the phin consists of 2 parts:

• a bottom metal cylindrical "cup" with perforations and
• a top disc with perforations that screws into the bottom "cup"

Coarse-ground coffee is placed into the bottom "cup" and is pressed when the top disc is screwed in with a utensil such as a spoon.

The trick is finding the right balance between tightening the disc too tightly (no coffee can drip through), versus having the disc too loose (weak coffee, light brown water).

3 ingredients you'll need

You'll need:

• Vietnamese ground coffee: preferably coarse-ground; Cafe du Monde, Trung Nguyen or any dark roast
• sweetened condensed milk: is a thick, rich milk that is sweetened and comes in a can; Longevity brand is our go-to, but you can use any that you like
• hot boiling water
• ice: for serving

How to make Vietnamese coffee

Place 1-2 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk (or to your taste) into a tall (hear-resistant) glass. Set aside.

Add the medium-coarse dark roast ground coffee to the coffee phin filter.

Place the filter over the glass.

Pour about 1 tablespoon of boiling hot water over the phin filter and let the coffee grounds bloom.

Next, pour in the remaining boiling water and watch the coffee slowly drip through the filter into the cup.

Once the coffee has finished dripping, give the coffee mixture a stir and enjoy (if serving hot), or pour into a tall glass filled with ice.

Note: the resulting coffee is very strong and concentrated, which is why it is sweetened with condensed milk and served on ice.

How to serve

You can serve Vietnamese coffee iced or hot.

Vietnamese coffee is a drink that is enjoyed at a leisurely pace due to the nature of the slow drip.

Pair this highly-caffeinated drink with a Cold Cut Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) or Vietnamese Beef Pho for the perfect lunch.

Vietnamese coffee variations

Cà Phê đá: Regular dark roast Vietnamese coffee on ice

Bạc Xỉu: "White little" coffee; pretty much the same drink as cà phê sữa da, except there's more condensed milk than coffee

Cà Phê Cốt Dừa: Iced coconut coffee

Cà Phê Dừa: Coconut coffee; dark roast coffee with coconut milk and condensed milk

Cà Phê Trứng: Whipped egg coffee which originated in Hanoi; a coffee drink made topped with whipped egg yolks and condensed milk or sugar and milk, similar to eggnog

Other delicious coffee recipes you may like

Be sure to try out these recipes:

2-Ingredient Vietnamese Coffee Popsicles

Vietnamese Iced Coconut Coffee

Cold Brew Coffee (With Espresso Option)

Vietnamese Egg Coffee

Vietnamese Coffee French Toast

No-Churn Espresso Ice Cream 

Let me know if you try this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!