A Guide to Vietnamese Coffee: 7 Signature Coffees You Must Try

The French may have introduced coffee to Vietnam, but it's the Vietnamese baristas who have successfully created some of the most addictive coffee drinks in the world.

Traditionally brewed using a metal phin filter, Vietnamese coffee is known for its potent, earthy taste that's often balanced out with ice and a generous drizzle of sweetened condensed milk.

This is ca phe sua da (iced milk coffee), the most iconic of Vietnam's coffee drinks. Once you try it, you'll have a hard time ordering anything else.

But as you'll soon learn, Vietnam's coffee shops are constantly brewing caffeinated concoctions that are too intriguing to pass up. From coconut coffee and egg coffee to salt coffee and yoghurt coffee, you'll want to try each of these popular Vietnamese coffee drinks at least once during your trip.

From baguettes to stew, the French have had an indelible influence on Vietnam's culinary scene. But coffee might just be their biggest contribution. The French brought the first coffee plants to Vietnam in 1857, where they have thrived in places like Dalat in the Central Highlands ever since. Fast forward to the 21st century and Vietnam is now the second-largest exporter of coffee in the world and the largest producer of robusta beans.

Coffee and café culture are a huge part of the Vietnamese way of life. While you'll find cups of ca phe den (black coffee) brewing through phins all across the country, the north and south approach coffee very differently.

In Ho Chi Minh City in the south, coffee is often served with ice to combat the constant heat. Head north, where winters are cold and wet, and you'll see an appreciation for warm coffee drinks, including Hanoi's famous egg coffee.

• Coffee - ca phe
• Milk - sua
• Black - den
• Ice - da
• Hot - nong
• Sugar - duong
• No sugar - khong duong
• Yoghurt - sua chua
• Egg - trung
• Coconut - dua
• Salt - muoi

Ca phe den isn't for the faint of heart. Vietnamese black coffee is thick, strong, and served in small portions that sure do pack a punch. In Vietnam, ca phe den is prepared using a small metal phin, which allows the coffee to slow-drip into a glass. You can either order it hot or with ice (ca phe den da).

Where to get it: Everywhere, from street stalls to cafés and restaurants.

Once you try Vietnamese iced milk coffee, you're going to have a hard time taking your coffee any other way. Ca phe sua da is an addictive combination of ca phe den (black coffee), sweetened condensed milk, and ice. Ca phe sua da is traditionally prepared using a phin, allowing the coffee to trickle onto a thick layer of sweetened condensed milk. After the coffee is done dripping into your glass, stir everything together and enjoy.

Where to get it: Because Vietnamese iced milk coffee has its roots in Ho Chi Minh City, you'll definitely want to try a few variations while you're there. L’Usine is a popular brunch spot that serves a high-end version with house-made sweetened condensed milk. Trung Nguyen Legend Café also does an excellent version.

Not to be confused with ca phe sua da, bac xiu (white coffee) is prepared with a combination of fresh milk and sweetened condensed milk that's spiked with a little bit of Vietnamese drip coffee. It's kind of like a latte but even creamier. It's usually served in a large glass with plenty of ice. You'll also find hot versions.

Where to get it: Cong Caphe is a very popular chain of cafés in Vietnam. You'll find them throughout the country, from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. All of their coffee drinks are sublime, including the hot and iced bac xiu.

Coconut coffee encapsulates this tropical nation's love of coffee perfectly. But unlike traditional coffee drinks, coconut coffee is a decadent blend of coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, ice, and black coffee. The result is kind of like a Vietnamese answer to a Starbucks Frappuccino.

Where to get it: Since the coconut coffee trend got its start in Hanoi, your best bet is to try it there. Coconut coffee is ubiquitous in Hanoi, but Loading T café and The Hanoi Social Club are two popular options.

Egg coffee might not sound appealing. But give it a try and chances are it'll be your favourite Vietnamese coffee drink. Instead of egg, think of this as a custard coffee because that's what it tastes like.

Due to milk shortages in the 1940s, a Hanoi-based coffee shop owner called Mr. Giang had the ingenious idea of vigorously whipping egg yolks with sweetened condensed milk and spices and then pouring the mixture over a shot of strong black Vietnamese coffee. The result is so thick you can scoop it with a spoon.

Where to get it: You'll find shops selling egg coffee everywhere in Hanoi's Old Quarter. But it's always fun to try it at Giang café, where it was invented.

This is another Vietnamese coffee drink that sounds a bit odd but is truly delicious. If you like salted caramel, chances are you're going to love salt coffee.

Salt coffee is a relatively new creation. This combo of robusta coffee and salt was first dreamed up by a creative husband-and-wife duo in Hue in 2010. It's usually prepared with a combination of strong robusta coffee, a dash of salt, and sweetened condensed milk, creating a balanced blend of bitter, salty, and sweet. As with most good things in Vietnam, the salt coffee craze took off, and you can now find ca phe muoi in cafés throughout Hue and the rest of Vietnam.

Where to get it: If you find yourself in the Imperial City of Hue, order a salt coffee at Ca Phe Muoi, where it all began. They also do a salt matcha and a salt cocoa.

While not quite as popular as the other coffees on this list, yoghurt coffee is gaining steam in Vietnam's café culture. It consists of creamy yoghurt, sweetened condensed milk, coffee, and loads of ice. This is a very popular drink during the hot and humid summer months.

Where to get it: café Duy Trí in Hanoi is famous for their yoghurt coffee. They pride themselves on serving the thickest version in the city. The secret? They freeze the yoghurt ahead of time and they roast their own robusta and arabica blend.

Vietnamese coffee is unique because it is primarily made with robusta beans, which are stronger, more bitter, and more caffeinated than arabica beans. In Vietnam, coffee is traditionally prepared using a metal phin filter, which allows it to slow-drip. The result is a small, strong shot of coffee. Because of its strong taste, black coffee is often mixed with sweetened condensed milk.

The most common types of Vietnamese coffee are black coffee (ca phe den) and iced milk coffee (ca phe sua da). However, dessert-style drinks are also very popular, including coconut coffee (ca phe dua), egg coffee (ca phe trung), and salt coffee (ca phe muoi).

For a true taste of the country, the Vietnamese coffee drinks that visitors should try are Ho Chi Minh City's famous iced milk coffee (ca phe sua da) and Hanoi's iconic egg coffee (ca phe trung). They are both totally different and tell the unique story of their city of origin.

The best places to experience Vietnamese coffee when visiting Vietnam are pretty much anywhere. However, you'll find the largest concentration of coffee shops in major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Yes, there are many coffee workshops in Vietnam. You can peruse different options on sites like Get Your Guide and Viator. However, in the most popular coffee workshops, you'll learn how to make traditional Vietnamese coffee using a phin, as well as how to make coconut coffee, egg coffee, and salt coffee. That way, you can make them at home.

If you're looking for Vietnamese coffee beans to bring back home, you can pick up bags of Trung Nguyen and Highlands coffee at just about any grocery store. Many cafés in bigger cities will also sell bags of their own beans, so if you find something you like, buy a bag or two.