9 Types Of Vietnamese Coffee Explained (Top Vietnamese Coffees For Tourists To Try + More Information)

If you are traveling to Vietnam, read on to learn about the best types of Vietnamese coffee you must try. This article will give you a comprehensive list of Vietnamese coffee to try as a tourist.

While most people opt for Bali for the Eat, Pray, Love experience, also my initial plan, I found myself and my purpose and healed when I visited Vietnam, and I keep going back.

I fell in love with the most beautiful varieties of Vietnamese coffee. My friend always spoke highly of their coffee and warned me that it might require some getting used to, but it wasn’t until I visited and had the most humbling coffee experience, and somehow accepted that I hadn’t lived until then. So, what is so interesting about Vietnamese coffee? Keep reading this article to learn the types of coffee you will find in Vietnam.

How many types of coffee are there in Vietnamese?

Vietnam boasts a unique array of coffee varieties, and there are nine main types of Vietnamese coffee worth trying. These varieties of Vietnamese coffee include:

• Ca Phe Den Nong or Ca Phe Da – Black coffee
• Ca Phe Sua Nong – Hot Coffee with Milk
• Ca Phe Sua Da – Vietnamese Iced Coffee
• Ca Phe Den Da – Vietnamese Iced Coffee without milk
• Cà phê bạc xỉu – Sweetened iced coffee
• Ca Phe Trung – Egg Coffee
• Cà phê cốt dừa – Coconut Coffee
• Ca Phe Sua Chua– Yogurt Coffee
• Cà phê phin – Drip coffee

What is the most popular coffee in Vietnam?

The most popular type of Vietnamese coffee is egg coffee, also called ca phe trung. It’s made of whipped raw egg yolks into an airy and very light froth mixed with coffee, and the result is likened to tiramisu and eggnog. It is a must-try for every coffee lover visiting Vietnam.

What is Vietnamese coffee called?

Vietnamese coffee has different names depending on the type of coffee in question and how it’s brewed. However, the general term for Vietnamese coffee is Ca Phe, pronounced as ka-fay in Vietnamese or café in English. While this is the general term used to refer to the coffee beverage, it may also refer to the coffee plant or the coffee beans. Vietnamese black coffee, for instance, is called Ca Phe Da, and Vietnamese drip coffee is called Ca Phe Phin.

What does Vietnamese coffee taste like?

Vietnamese coffee has bold and bitter flavors, so the coffee, regardless of the type, doesn’t taste like your ordinary Frappuccino or iced latte. That said, the coffee still has a natural sweetness to it thanks to the caramelized sugars from the roasting process, which also adds hazelnut, caramel, and dark chocolate notes. The coffee gets these characteristics from the smooth profile of the coffee’s dark roast.

How we choose the best types of Vietnamese coffee

While we’d tried Vietnamese coffee varieties severally, we needed to research more to ensure our conclusions were unbiased and actual. With this in mind, we worked with experienced coffee experts and roasters whose professional eyes and taste buds made possible a more realistic analysis of the varieties of coffee. These tests were based on the coffee bean type, taste, texture, boldness, flavor balance, and the coffee’s mouthfeel. Based on our findings, we came up with this list of the best types of Vietnamese coffee.

9 types of Vietnamese coffee

Below is a table outlining the main types of Vietnamese coffee.

	Type of Vietnamese Coffee	Ingredients
1	Ca Phe Trung – Egg Coffee	Whipped egg yolk, black coffee, and sugar
2	Vietnamese Drip Coffee – Ca Phe Phin	Black coffee made of Robusta beans
3	Cà Phê Sữa Đá – Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk	Black coffee, crushed ice, and condensed milk
4	Ca Phe Bac Xiu – Sweetened Vietnamese Coffee	Black coffee, crushed ice, a lot of condensed milk, and sugar (optional)
5	Ca Phe Cot Dua – Coconut Coffee	Black coffee, coconut milk, condensed milk/sugar (optional)
6	Ca Phe Sua Chua– Yogurt Coffee	Black coffee, yogurt, condensed milk, and sugar
7	Ca Phe Den Nong or Ca Phe Den Da – Vietnamese Black coffee	Black coffee
8	Ca Phe Sinh To – Fruity Coffee	Bananas, avocado, sapodilla, coffee
9	Ca Phe Chon – Vietnamese Weasel Coffee	Coffee from a weasel’s poop

Ca Phe Trung – Egg Coffee

First on the list is Vietnamese most popular coffee, egg coffee or Ca Phe Trung, which is known worldwide thanks to the fact that the coffee is made using frothy egg yolk instead of condensed or steamed milk. Even so, it is said to taste as good as eggnog, and others find that it feels like tiramisu.

This coffee dates back to the 1940s when there was a milk shortage in Hanoi, so the Hanoians came up with this drink to meet their coffee cravings. Without milk, they opted to whisk or whip up egg yolks into a dense, frothy, and milk-like consistency, then added coffee and sugar, which tasted surprisingly amazing. They also realized this was an inexpensive and tasty alternative that stuck, even after the milk supply increased. Today, it’s a must-try, beloved Vietnamese coffee, especially in winter.

It’s also more of a luxurious drink, and its dense and frothy foamy head sitting on the rich coffee brew is enjoyed in slow sips, even as you gently fold the foam using a spoon.

Vietnamese Drip Coffee – Ca Phe Phin

Ca phe phin, also known as café phin or phin coffee, refers to a special type of Vietnamese coffee that is uniquely brewed using individual drip coffee filters. In most cases, you can view the coffee brewing right in front of you. Note that the drip filter is akin to the French drip filter, and its main parts include the brewing chamber, the bottom filter, the strainer, and the lid.

During brewing, the phin or filter stays on top of your cup as hot water is introduced and allowed to filter through as the barista repeats the process at least two times slowly. It is the most common coffee brewing method, and you’ll spot it in practically every coffee shop as you walk down the busy streets. The coffee beans are often roasted in butter, but the coffee has some bitterness.

The black coffee brewed using this method can be enjoyed as is, and it appears on menus as Ca Phe Phin, meaning that it’s exclusively black drip coffee without any milk or ice added. However, drip coffee is often made into other types of coffee, like iced coffee with condensed milk added, a type of coffee called Cà Phê Sữa Đá.

Cà Phê Sữa Đá – Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk

Given the hot and humid climate conditions in Vietnam, an iced drink is quite popular, and this iced coffee is one of the most popular varieties of coffee you will enjoy there.

Cà Phê Sữa Đá translates to iced coffee with milk. Ca Phe means coffee, while Sua and Da mean milk and ice. Ca phe sua da will make you fall in love with Vietnamese coffee because of the condensed milk and added sugar that coaxes the bitterness of the Robusta coffee beans into a very bearable drink. And to enjoy the fullness of this bold coffee, your iced coffee starts with the black drip coffee brewed right before you.

Ca Phe Bac Xiu – Sweetened Vietnamese Coffee

If you are looking for a sugar rush, Ca Phe Bac Xiu will turn you into an energizer bunny to explore Vietnam’s nightlife for hours. This iced coffee is made with coffee, crushed ice, and condensed milk, just like Ca Phe sua da, but the difference between them is that this sweetened coffee variety has more milk and is extra sweet. The sweetness of the condensed milk that dims the bitterness of the Robusta coffee is the reason why this coffee is common among teenagers.

Ca Phe Cot Dua – Coconut Coffee

The other type of Vietnamese coffee you must try is their coconut coffee, which is considered the perfect beverage to cool you down, especially when the cities start to overheat in the Vietnam summer sun. The coffee is made to look like ice cream than coffee, and it’s also the perfect pick-me-up drink.

It’s made of their phin drip coffee, condensed, fresh, and coconut milk blended perfectly and iced. It’s such a refreshing treat, and the coconut adds a nice, refreshing tropical twist to it.

Ca Phe Sua Chua– Yogurt Coffee

If you are looking for a caffeinated afternoon snack before heading off to your next adventure, this yogurt coffee could be the perfect pick-me-up snack. This caffeinated drink is made using a blend of Vietnamese drip coffee mixed with condensed milk, yogurt, ice, and a sweetener if you like. The ice and condensed milk are also optional.

One of the things that makes this coffee stand out is that the coffee has a sour taste from the yogurt and the coffee’s bitterness, but the sweetness of the condensed milk and some sugar leaves you with one of the most delicious coffee drinks.

Ca Phe Den Nong or Ca Phe Den Da – Vietnamese Black coffee

The other variety of Vietnamese coffee you may enjoy is the Vietnamese black coffee that is enjoyed iced or hot. Black coffee is often enjoyed iced in the South, and you will find it wherever you are, from the small side stalls to luxurious restaurants and clubs in the city.

Ca Phe Sinh To – Fruity Coffee

Bet you never imagined a fruity cup of coffee! Well, you finally get the chance to enjoy this unique blend of coffee thanks to Vietnam’s ca phe sinh, also called the smoothie coffee.

It is the perfect caffeinated tropical drink made with fruits like avocadoes, bananas, or the rare fruit sapodilla, then a few drops of exquisite Vietnamese coffee is added. This fresh coffee and the fruits leave you with a refreshing drink that will excite your palate.

Ca Phe Chon – Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

While Vietnamese egg coffee is highly popularized and is the perfect winter drink, Vietnam boasts another type of coffee under its belt – the world’s rarest and perhaps the most expensive type of coffee, the weasel coffee made from weasel poop. Despite your prejudgment, the coffee doesn’t have a yucky taste.

Informative Section

Is Vietnamese coffee bitter or sweet?

Vietnamese coffee is bitter and bold and not sweet. However, it has sweet undertones from the beans’ roasting process, which introduces caramel, hazelnut, and dark chocolate notes to the coffee, resulting in one of the most refreshing cups. The bitterness requires getting used to it because it might taste like nothing you’ve ever tasted.

Is Vietnamese coffee healthy?

Yes, Vietnamese coffee is healthy. This is because the beans used and the resultant brew contains high concentrations of the antioxidant called chlorogenic acid that protects the cells from free radicals, which have damaging effects on the body and often cause premature aging and diseases like cancer. Chlorogenic acid in coffee also contributes to enhanced weight loss thanks to its fat-burning effects.

Why is Vietnamese coffee so strong?

Vietnamese coffee is significantly strong thanks to the use of Robusta coffee beans, known for their high caffeine content, dark and earthy aroma, and intense flavors. In addition to the type of coffee beans, the beans used are also the darkest roast, resulting in the most robust coffee.

But that is not all; the brewing method extracts more flavors from the ground coffee, hence the most robust coffee.