6.10. Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Description
This article is from the Coffee and Caffeine FAQ, by Alex Lopez-Ortiz with numerous contributions by others.
6.10. Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Same coffee as above. Sweetened condensed (not evaporated) milk Ice
Make even stronger coffee, preferably in a Vietnamese coffee maker.
(This is a metal cylinder with tiny holes in the bottom and a
perforated disc that fits into it; you put coffee in the bottom of the
cylinder, place the disc atop it, then fill with boiling water and a
very rich infusion of coffee drips slowly from the bottom.)
If you are using a Vietnamese coffee maker, put two tablespoons of
sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of a cup and put the coffee
maker on top of the cup. If you are making espresso or cafe filter
(the infusion method where you press the plunger down through the
grounds after several minutes of infusion), mix the sweetened
condensed milk and the coffee any way you like.
When the milk is dissolved in the coffee (yes, dissolved *is* the
right word here!), pour the combination over ice and sip.
Thai and Vietnamese coffees are very different.
Ca phe sua da (Vietnamese style iced coffee)
o 2 to 4 tablespoons finely ground dark roast coffee (preferably
with chicory)
o 2 to 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (e.g., Borden Eagle
Brand, not evaporated milk!)
o Boiling water
o Vietnamese coffee press [see notes]
o Ice cubes
Place ground coffee in Vietnamese coffee press and screw lid down on
the grounds. Put the sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of a
coffee cup and set the coffee maker on the rim. Pour boiling water
over the screw lid of the press; adjust the tension on the screw lid
just till bubbles appear through the water, and the coffee drips
slowly out the bottom of the press.
When all water has dripped through, stir the milk and coffee together.
You can drink them like this, just warm, as ca phe sua neng, but I
prefer it over ice, as ca phe sua da. To serve it that way, pour the
milk-coffee mixture over ice, stir, and drink as slowly as you can
manage. I always gulp mine too fast. :-)
Notes
A Vietnamese coffee press looks like a stainless steel top hat.
There's a "brim" that rests on the coffee cup; in the middle of that
is a cylinder with tiny perforations in the bottom. Above that rises a
threaded rod, to which you screw the top of the press, which is a disc
with similar tiny perforations. Water trickles through these, extracts
flavour from the coffee, and then trickles through the bottom
perforations. It is excruciatingly slow. Loosening the top disc speeds
the process, but also weakens the resulting coffee and adds sediment
to the brew.
If you can't find a Vietnamese coffee press, regular-strength espresso
is an adequate substitute, particularly if made with French-roast
beans or with a dark coffee with chicory. I've seen the commonly
available Medaglia d'Oro brand coffee cans in Vietnamese restaurants,
and it works, though you'll lose some of the subtle bitterness that
the chicory offers. I think Luzianne brand coffee comes with chicory
and is usable in Vietnamese coffee, though at home I generally get
French roast from my normal coffee provider.
Of these two coffees, Vietnamese coffee should taste more or less like
melted Haagen-Dasz coffee ice cream, while Thai iced coffee has a more
fragrant and lighter flavour from the cardamom and half-and-half
rather than the condensed milk. Both are exquisite, and not difficult
to make once you've got the equipment.
As a final tip, I often use my old-fashioned on-the-stove espresso
maker (the one shaped like an hourglass, where you put water in the
bottom, coffee in the middle, and as it boils the coffee comes out in
the top) for Thai iced coffee. The simplest way is merely to put the
cardamom and sugar right in with the coffee, so that what comes out
the top is ready to pour over ice and add half and half. It makes a
delicious and very passable version of restaurant-style Thai iced
coffee.
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