Although most people are aware that Vietnam is a big coffee grower, some may be shocked to discover that it is also the worldâs second-largest exporter of beans, trailing only Brazil.
Table Of Contents
â- Best Vietnamese coffee brands
- Quick history
- The Vietnamese coffee industry and the issues facing farmers
- Vietnamâs coffee cultureÂ
- Traditional Vietnamese coffee
- Cultivation of Vietnamese coffee
- CĂ PhĂȘ Sua: Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk
- Types of coffee in Vietnam
- Buyerâs guide
- Vietnamese coffee brewing methods
- Vietnamese Phin: our recommendations
- FAQs
- Final thoughts
Best Vietnamese coffee brands
Hereâs our list of the best Vietnamese coffee brands to search for if youâre interested in trying Vietnamese coffee.
Trung Nguyen Vietnamese Coffee
If you visit Vietnam, you will notice that one brand of coffee is ubiquitous. The Trung Nguyen brand is as close as youâll get to find a âstandardâ Vietnamese coffee, and the company has been around since 1996.
The scent and flavor of this coffee are both great. Itâs a lighter roast than French roast, with a smooth texture and low acidity. This coffee has arabica, robusta, Excelsa, and Catimor beans.
Itâs ground to the perfect coarseness for preparing Vietnamese coffee the old way.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Low-level acidity
- Smooth drinking experience
Cons
- Aftertaste is slightly bitter
Trung Nguyen Gourmet Blend
Another Trung Nguyen brand product, this time a higher-quality coffee that is sold in whole beans. This coffee has arabica, robusta, Excelsa, and Catimor beans. The beans are very fatty, which aids in flavor retention.
The coffee has a deep flavor with chocolaty tones and medium caffeine content, according to the tasting notes. This isnât the kind of coffee youâd find in a typical Hanoi coffee shop, but itâs one you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
Pros
- Beans harvested in coffee-growing provinces
- Refreshing beverage
- A unique gift idea for a special occasion or as a keepsake
Cons
- Itâs not for you if you donât like the aroma of chocolate.
Chestbrew Strong Dark Roast Vietnamese Coffee
This could be a decent choice for individuals looking for premium-quality coffee from Vietnam rather than traditional Vietnamese-style coffee. This company is proud of its commitment to assisting coffee farmers.
The beans are roasted at one of Southeast Asiaâs most advanced facilities. Strong and smooth with a unique flavor, coffee prepared from these beans are classified as such.
These dark-roast single-origin arabica beans are perfect for cold brew, Vietnamese-style iced coffee or hot, or conventional hot-brewed coffee.
Pros
- Flavorful
- Coffee with a lot of punch
- Fresh taste
Cons
- A little costly
Vinacafe Instant Coffee Mix
ââInstant coffee is also popular in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, and this Vinacafe instant blend could be a nice choice if you want to experience an accurate version of what they drink there.
This is a traditional Southeast Asian three-in-one coffee blend, which means it already contains sugar and creamer. To produce a sweet and wonderful coffee drink, all you have to do is add hot water.
When youâre at home or on the road, this is a must-have.
Pros
- Convenient
- Delicious
- Fragrant aroma
Cons
- A little watery
Dalat Peaberry Robusta Coffee
These robusta beans are ideal for coffee or espresso in Vietnamese manner. These peaberry beans have a lot of caffeine, a lot of body, a lot of acidities, and a smooth finish with chocolate undertones.
Pros
- A complex coffee combination
- Excellent for espresso
- Itâs possible to combine it with Arabica beans for greater flavors
Cons
- Expensive
Saigon Phin Daklak Pre-Ground Coffee
The excellent merits of the Saigon Phin Daklak are highlighted in third place. This pre-ground coffee has a gentle, mellow flavor. Coffee drinkers who want a more low-key experience will enjoy what they find here.
The company promotes the blend as being particularly ideal for producing Vietnamese-style iced coffee, but the truth is that you can use it in any way you like. However, some customers have complained about a strange aftertaste.
This isnât something youâll have to deal with, but itâs something to think about. Aside from that, itâs a decent cup of coffee at a reasonable price.
Pros
- Reasonable price
- Excellent for iced coffee
Cons
- Unusual aftertaste
Trung Nguyen G7 3-in-1 Instant Coffee
Trung Nguyen G7 3-In-1 Instant Coffee is a great method to have a quick cup of aromatic and sweet coffee to start your day. If youâre wondering why G7 tastes so amazing, itâs because itâs a blend of beans from various coffee-growing regions, including Jamaica, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Vietnam.
This package contains 100 sachets of coffee, sugar, and cream, everything you need to make a delicious cup of coffee. This mix is ideal for coffee drinkersâ first cup of the day.
Last but not least, just add 75ml of hot water, and G7 is ready to drink, just like any instant coffee. For a stronger flavor, use two sachets.
Pros
- For a more complex flavor, choose multi-regional coffee beans.
- Simple and quick
- Suitable for a wide range of people
- Affordable
Cons
- It may look to be a little watery
Quick history
Quick history It was originally grown for the French who lived in Vietnam, but soon after, the native populace began to enjoy coffee as well. Coffee output continued to rise in the following years, with the largest growing zone being the Central Highlands region surrounding BuĂŽn Ma Thuot.
Despite the fact that the area of BuĂŽn Ma Thuot witnessed minimal action during the American War, its placement in the heart of the country, sandwiched between the North and the South, caused many people to flee.
Following the war, production increased, and by the late 1990s, the country had risen to second place among the worldâs top coffee producers. Coffee exports are currently second only to rice in importance in the Vietnamese economy.
The Vietnamese coffee industry and the issues facing farmers
Although Vietnam produces a large volume of coffee each year, typically topping one million tons, the robusta bean accounts for the vast majority of it. Robusta beans account for 95% or more of the annual harvest, making Vietnam the worldâs largest producer.
Robusta plants are easier to grow, yield more beans, and are more tolerant of less ideal growth conditions than the more delicate arabica bean, although they are not as popular.
Efforts are now being made to improve arabica output, but robusta still reigns supreme in Vietnam for the time being.
Farmers in Vietnam suffer similar difficulties. Aside from the concern of climate change, which is already causing problems for growers around the world, many of Vietnamâs coffee trees are elderly and nearing the end of their productive lives.
This means that a systematic replanting program will be required to maintain the industry viable in the country.
Vietnamâs coffee cultureÂ
Coffee may have been introduced by the French to their former colony, but the Vietnamese seized it and made it their own. In Hanoi or Ho Chi Min City (or Saigon, as the Vietnamese still call it), you wonât have to travel far to discover a coffee shop full of pleasant locals enjoying a cup.
There are two things you must do before leaving the nation if you visit. One is the now-famous pho, a delectable bowl of beef noodle soup that serves as the countryâs national cuisine.
The second is Vietnamese coffee, which is known as cĂ phĂȘ in Vietnamese.
A phin, a peculiar drip coffee filter, is used to make Vietnamese coffee. Because the beans used are often bitter robusta, the coffee is frequently sweetened with condensed milk, which retains significantly better in the hot tropical climate than fresh milk.
The result is a thick, sweet drink that may be served hot or over ice, which is understandable given the hot weather in Vietnam.
Another local delicacy is cĂ phĂȘ trung, or egg coffee, which you should taste if you have the opportunity.
Profile of Vietnamese coffee
Despite the growing popularity of premium Arabica coffee beans, Vietnam is still best recognized for producing highly caffeinated, slightly bitter Robusta coffee beans. Vietnamese coffee is known for being dark and robust and for being the ideal companion to quality espresso or Arabica blends.
The robust scent and black roast of traditional Vietnamese coffee are well-known. Vietnamese coffee roasters, on the other hand, frequently use butter or sugar to balance off the smokiness of their Robusta beans.
Traditional Vietnamese coffee
You wouldnât be served a venti cappuccino, espresso, or latte if you walked into a Vietnamese coffeehouse and asked for a typical cup of joe.
In Vietnam, coffee is typically brewed in a phin, which is made up of a perforated plate that fits over a coffee cup, a brewing chamber, a perforated insert that lies within the chamber to compress the coffee grounds, and a lid to keep the heat in and create coffee magic.
The Phin resembles the lovely child of a French Press and a pour-over, much to the joy of every coffee elitist. Coffee brewed in a Phin is made slowly and carefully, drip by drip, encouraging coffee drinkers to take their time and appreciate their beans.
After the coffee is prepared, it can be served black, iced, or hot, with cream and sugar, or with sweetened condensed milk, a Vietnamese favorite.
Cultivation of Vietnamese coffee
Vietnam was the major coffee grower in Southeast Asia and the worldâs second-largest coffee producer by the late 1990s. However, Robusta beans have traditionally been the mainstay of cultivation.
The fertile volcanic mountain soil of Vietnamâs Central Highlands is home to the majority of the countryâs coffee output. Arabica beans are traditionally grown in Lam Dong, but Robusta beans are grown primarily in Dak Lak and Dak Nong.
Surprisingly, Vietnam provides the optimal geographic and climate characteristics for Arabica bean growing. Vietnam is aggressively working to improve the quality of its coffee and hopes to boost the cultivation of Arabica beans, according to the International Coffee Organization.
CĂ PhĂȘ Sua: Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk
A phin and medium-coarse ground coffee are required to brew a superb cup of Vietnamese-style milk coffee. Any coffee will suffice. However, authentic Vietnamese coffee beans will yield the greatest results.
Pour around three large teaspoons of Vietnamese coffee into the phin, tap it on your work surface a couple of times to make sure itâs well distributed, then gently press down with the insert created for this purpose.
In a glass, pour the needed amount of condensed milk. Two teaspoons should suffice. Pour enough water into the phin over the glass to allow the coffee to swell.
After the first half of the water has been absorbed, add the remaining water, close the lid, and wait for the coffee to seep through. Itâs done when all of the coffee has dripped through. Stir it up and enjoy it!
Hereâs a hint: the dripping process takes a long time, and by the time the coffee has dripped through and combined with the condensed milk, your coffee may be cold.
This isnât a bad thing in the sweltering heat of a Vietnamese day, but itâs not ideal if you enjoy hot coffee. Simply place your glass in a bowl of hot water while you wait for your coffee to be ready to remedy the problem.
When youâre ready to drink it, the water will have kept it hot, just the way you want it!
Types of coffee in Vietnam
Let me take you on a quick tour of the various types of Vietnamese coffee.
Robusta
This coffee is well-suited to the climate and soil of Vietnamâs Central Highlands, accounting for 90-95 percent of total coffee production each year. This coffee has a robust aroma, isnât sour, and has high caffeine content, making it ideal for Vietnamese palates.
Arabica beans are larger than Robusta beans. It must be dried immediately rather than fermented, and it has a bitter taste. It is grown at lower elevations than 600 meters.
Arabica
Arabica is a coffee variety with somewhat longer beans that is grown at altitudes of over 600 meters. Harvested, fermented, washed, and dried Arabica. It has a slightly sour, aromatic, and creamy flavor, as well as a higher sugar content than Robusta.
Cherry
Liberica and Exelsa are the two primary types of cherry coffee. This variety isnât very popular, but it produces a lot of fruit. It is grown in the Central Highlandsâ arid, windy, and sunny environments.
It has bright and gleaming beans. Cherry is generally preferred by women because of its delicate flavor.
Culi
There is only one bean in each coffee cherry. It has a strong bitter flavor, a powerful scent, a high caffeine content, and a black color when brewed.
Moka
Coffee Moka is one of the most well-known Arabica coffee varieties. Moka is a rare coffee in Vietnam, and it is always more expensive than other coffees.
Moka beans are significantly larger and more attractive than other bean kinds. It has a distinct aroma that is slightly sour, which may appeal to coffee connoisseurs. Moka is planted at elevations of 1500 meters above sea level.
Buyerâs guide
Weâve seen fantastic Vietnamese coffees, and now itâs time to consider a few factors that will aid you in selecting the ideal coffee for your needs.
Origin
All of the coffee on my list comes from Vietnam. Only a few items are made up of beans from different regions. Gia Lai, Daklak, and Da Lat are also popular places to cultivate them.
In other words, theyâre grown in Vietnamâs Central Highlands. The variances are due to the altitude of each coffee-growing region and how the coffee is processed after harvesting.
Culture and Coffee
Vietnamese coffee is often made to be brewed hot or cold. Itâs part of the cultural experience that distinguishes it from the competition. Almost all of the options on our list can be brewed hot or cold, as you may have noted from our list.
Which is better: instant or traditional?
There are various instant coffees on our list. When youâre in a hurry, instant coffee is a terrific option. You can make a decent cup of coffee with hot water and approximately two minutes of your time.
Furthermore, instant coffee is fairly widespread in Vietnam, so you can be sure youâre receiving a genuine cup of coffee.
There are, however, trade-offs. For starters, instant coffee is rarely as tasty or fragrant as traditional drip-brewed coffee. It isnât usually extremely full-bodied, either.
Youâll still be able to purchase a decent cup, but it wonât be the same.
Weight of the bag and packaging
The more attractive the package, the more appealing it is. While most coffee drinkers arenât drawn to looks, the contents of the bag are a more important factor to consider.
Weight values range from roughly 7 ounces to around 25 ounces or more for a price range of $15 to $50. While you may be lured by the amount, keep in mind that the Vietnamese flavor and roast quality are what youâre after.
Price
Coffee may be quite costly. In comparison to the rest of the Java world, the options discussed in this article are reasonably priced. However, there are still price differences between units.
In general, more expensive mixes have more flavor, freshness, and scent per cup. However, fantastic coffee can still be bought at incredible costs.
Quantity
Bulk bags are an excellent option for budget shoppers to save money. You pay a little more upfront for these goods, but you get a better price per unit, just like any other product. In this scenario, buying in larger amounts usually saves you a little money per ounce.
If you buy too much, the grounds may get stale before you have a chance to use them all. Nonetheless, many consumers are prepared to make this compromise in order to get the greatest bargain available.
Business ethics
The method of producing coffee is notoriously harmful to the environment. If youâre concerned about the health of the ozone layer, you should be picky about who you buy from.
There are companies that use low-impact processing centers to provide tasty coffee that is also good for the environment. Coffee that is beneficial for the environment is normally quite pricey, but with a little searching, you might be able to find a reasonable offer.
Certifications
Some certifications and approvals denote a high-quality or organic-growing system. The USFDA or the International Coffee Organization may award these certifications or approvals.
Having at least one of these organizationsâ approval is a guarantee of quality. The USFDA has approved the Chestbrew Moon Bear Premium, for example.
Vietnamese coffee brewing methods
If you prefer chocolate coffee, youâll like Vietnamese coffee, which is very similar. Weâll show you how to make the famous Vietnamese iced coffee right here. Youâll need a cup to hold the condensed milk.
The same cup is used by all Vietnamese coffee manufacturers. Place the ground coffee in a threaded hole and cover it. Then hot water is added, and the coffee that has fallen into the cup is gradually dissolved by the water.
Vietnamese coffee has a strong flavor due to its high caffeine content. As a result, when you add condensed milk, the flavor is muted, but youâll notice this more with mild coffee varieties like Arabica.
Vietnamese Phin: our recommendations
Youâll need a phin if you want to prepare Vietnamese coffee at home. This is the traditional style that youâll see in coffee shops around Vietnam whenever you order a cup of joe.
This top-of-the-line stainless steel phin is completely dishwasher-safe. Itâs built to last, and youâll enjoy brewing Vietnamese coffee with it for years to come.
Check out our article for the best phin Vietnamese coffee maker
FAQs
What is Vietnamese black coffee, and how does it differ from other types of coffee?
Itâs like a Vietnamese espresso. Vietnamese people, additionally, only use Robusta beans to make coffee instead of Arabica.
Why does Vietnamese coffee have such a strong flavor?
Vietnamese coffee is generally brewed entirely of Robusta, and the dark roast makes it appear more substantial and bitter.
Is Vietnamese coffee bad for you?
They include caffeine, much like other coffee brands, which you shouldnât consume in excess during the day.
Vietnamese coffee is also frequently served with condensed milk. To avoid affecting your blood sugar, limit yourself to 1-2 cups each day.
When it comes to Vietnamese coffee, how long does it last?
If you keep the coffee in the fridge for at least two days, it will preserve its natural flavor.
Is Vietnamese coffee pricier than normal coffee?
Coffees are produced in many parts of the world, and the geographical component influences taste, flavor, intensity, and, of course, price due to logistics and manufacturing requirements, among other things.
While Vietnamese coffee is distinct, it does not outperform comparable coffee goods from other locations in terms of pricing. Vietnamese coffee ranges in price from $15 to $50 based on the number of packs and weight.
Final thoughts
For coffee purists, Vietnamese-style coffee may be a little unpolished with the addition of condensed milk. Vietnamese coffee is a sweet and delightful delicacy that may not appeal to everyone, but we think itâs excellent as long as we drink it in moderation!
Vietnam, on the other hand, is no longer only about robustas. As the country progresses toward cultivating more coffee geared at the gourmet market, more arabicas are anticipated to come in the future years.
Keep an eye on this space, and weâll do our best to keep you up to date!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using these links. Last update on 2023-06-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Disclosure: No compensation or free products were received in exchange for writing this review.
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