Despite having lived in Vietnam for a long time, many foreigners are still not used to drinking milk coffee or black iced coffee.
Florian (left) likes to drink coffee every day, but not the traditional Vietnamese style. Photo: Anh Tu.
Florian has lived in Vietnam for over 30 years. He has a well-known coffee shop in Thao Dien and drinks here every morning. Florian says he drinks at least two cups of coffee a day, latte or cappuccino. Milk or black iced coffee is quite “heavy” in Vietnam, so that is not a choice with Florian.
Enough to sleep through the night
Shared with Zing, Florian noted that Vietnam’s iced coffee is really different from the coffee he’s enjoyed in other countries. Although mixed with milk, it is still too strong to enjoy.
Mark sat with Florian in the well-known cafe. He is enjoying his vacation in Vietnam. He came here often and also learned the Vietnamese custom of drinking coffee all day long. But like Florian, traditional coffee in Vietnam is something Mark often “doesn’t dare to touch”.
He said: “Of course your coffee is delicious. A cup of coffee with milk in the morning is enough to keep me awake all day. If I drink it in the evening, I don’t sleep all night. Even in the afternoon I dare not touch milk coffee for fear of sleeping at night.
Grant often chooses to dilute the coffee to “cut down dollars.” Photo: Anh Tu.
Mark continued to sip his half-made cappuccino. He prefers such smooth coffee. When he traveled to Thailand, Mark also tried coffee. In general, coffee in the land of the Golden Temple is quite light, made in the espresso style. Meanwhile, coffee in Vietnam is much stronger.
The “fear” of the power of Vietnamese coffee has been confirmed by many foreigners. And that’s why they love the coffee here too. Some people don’t like light coffee like cappuccino or latte, but are afraid of the power of traditional Vietnamese coffee. Therefore, they choose to add more water to dilute the coffee.
Grant Wilson (from Australia), who has lived in Vietnam for 7 years, chose this way to enjoy a cup of traditional Vietnamese coffee. Later, Grant discovered a milder coffee than silver. He said he likes silver because the amount of coffee is just enough, with the aroma of coconut milk (depending on the store).
Cheap and delicious
That is the common comment of many foreigners when asked about coffee in Vietnam. A cappuccino in the US costs more than 100,000 VND. In Vietnam, they can enjoy an equally delicious glass for less than half the price.
Just came to Vietnam for the first time to visit his wife’s hometown but Emilio has loved Vietnamese coffee for a long time. Together with Zing, he said that his wife makes him a cup of Vietnamese milk coffee every morning. This American tourist said that a cup of Vietnamese coffee helps him wake up and get excited every morning.
“I can only drink cappuccino or Vietnamese milk coffee. I can’t drink black coffee like Vietnamese people,” he said.
On this visit to Vietnam, American tourists can experience the coffee culture on the doorstep – a “specialty” that has often been featured in foreign newspapers. The cheerful face of Vietnamese people drinking coffee and chatting makes Emilio amused. The cafes are designed to face the street. It is an experience not available in many parts of the world.
Mat, who has lived in Vietnam for 3 years, has similar thoughts. He noted that the open space, the easy-to-see street, is characteristic of Vietnamese coffee shops. In Melbourne (Australia), the birthplace of Mat, this model is not much.
Since living in Vietnam, Mat also owns 2-3 favorite stores. The quality of the shops is almost all good. Good coffee, cheap but strong, so Mat only dares to drink milk coffee now and then. He mainly opts for cappuccino and latte.
“In Melbourne, people also have a coffee shop culture similar to that of Vietnamese. Some people come to meet friends, others come to work. Some people come to buy coffee and then take it back… I think of the coffee culture of Vietnamese. It’s really fantastic. Knowing how to drink coffee is also a good thing, because it’s good for your health,” says Mat.
@ Sing News
