Known as Ca phe da, it is made with coarsely ground coffee beans which are then brewed with a drip filter (cà phê phin) into a cup of sweetened, condensed milk. It can be served hot or cold and is usually made with dark-roasted coffee. Here’s a brief background into one of Vietnam’s most successful exports.

Coffee was actually introduced to Vietnam in the mid-19th century by French colonialists. Its popularity with the French and indigenous Vietnamese peoples led to the establishment of numerous plantations as demand grew. By the early 20th century, Vietnam had become a leading producer of coffee in Asia with much of its industry based in the Buôn Ma Thuột region. However, the Vietnam conflict caused significant disruption to coffee production, especially around Buôn Ma Thuột, which was seen as an important crossing-point between the North and the South.

Following the conflict, the coffee industry was collectivised which served only to stifle private enterprise and slow production rates. Thankfully, the Doi Moi economic reforms of 1986 removed the economic shackles of collectivisation, once again allowing for private enterprise. As a result, the coffee industry flourished and by the turn of the millennium, Vietnam had risen to become the world’s second-biggest coffee producers on the planet, behind only Brazil. Today, Vietnam produces over 1 million tons of coffee per year.

So it’s something of a surprise to learn that Vietnamese Drip Coffee remains an undiscovered pleasure in the West! To help you get more familiar with this delicious brew, we’ve include a step-by-step guide on how to make drip coffee yourself.

• Step 1: Fill a coffee cup with about 1/3 of an inch of condensed milk.
• Step 2: If you’ve invested in a Vietnamese filter, remove the top and pour in three rounded teaspoons of coffee. Replace the filter top with two full twists, making sure it’s secure.
• Step 3: Place the filter above the coffee cup and pour hot water into the filter until it is a quarter full - then wait for 30 seconds or so. 
• Step 4: Unscrew the filter and fill it to the brim with more hot water. Put the cover back on and then wait for around 5 minutes.  If everything’s as it should be, the water should drip through the filter.
• Step 5: When it looks like the dripping has stopped and all the water has passed through the filter, you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy your coffee, Vietnamese style.

Tip: Vietnamese Drip Coffee goes especially well with a Banh Mi!

Many of the finest Vietnamese restaurants London has to offer serve drip coffee. So it’s entirely possible that our obscure art of coffee-making will become more widely appreciated by our London friends in the near future. 

If you’d prefer to avoid the ‘do-it-yourself’ approach, you can place an order with us and we’ll deliver straight to your door!