Tiny Coffees

The coffees in Vietnam are small, but mighty. Like me. Just kidding. But really, the coffees are super tiny. And they come in little glasses that look like double shot glasses.

When I’m at home, I drink coffee out of a huge mug. This is because I made a rule: I can only have one cup of coffee in the morning. So of course I make that cup as large as humanly possible. In Vietnam, I worried I wouldn’t get my caffeine fix because the cups are so small. Sometimes, I’d order two coffees, just to be sure. And then drink them fast, because they’re tiny. But beware, they are strong. And sweet.

Sweetened condensed milk gives Vietnamese coffees their signature taste. Once you’ve tried sweetened condensed milk in your coffee, regular milk will never be enough. It’s so smooth, so creamy, so, well, sweet, that it makes any coffee taste luxurious. It’s a treat that tastes more like a dessert. I could drink them morning, noon, and night.

In Hanoi, we had the chance to try a local specialty: the egg cream coffee. It was coffee, sugar, and milk whipped up with raw egg yolks to create a creamy, custard-like drink. Now this truly tasted like dessert.

If you’ve ever had a New England-style egg cream, it’s a bit like that. Also, what is ice cream but a bunch of egg yolks mixed with cream? So this was basically liquid ice cream. Creamy, frothy, and rich. SO GOOD.

Since this is a North Vietnamese specialty, the absolute best egg creams are in Hanoi.

First you whip the eggs with sugar. Then pour that on top of an espresso shot.

Whip it. Whip it goooood.

Then you mix in some cacao powder with a spoon.

Et voilà! Gorgeous, thick, and creamy.

Another thing I tried throughout Vietnam was coffee brewed in a double filter. Something about it makes the coffee feel extra special.

Coffee at a café in Hanoi.

The filter has three parts: the bottom, upon which the cup sits. The middle, which consists of a cup and a filter piece inside. And the top, which keeps in the heat.

I tried filtered coffee at cooking class in Ho Chi Minh. The glass was slightly different, but the idea was basically the same.

Both versions had sweetened condensed milk (naturally). And in case you’re thinking “hmm these look a lot like Italian espresso makers.” Yes, you’re (kind of) correct. European-style coffee tools inspired these double-tiered filters. Because, just as French-style baguettes became the base for bánh mì sandwiches, the French occupation of Vietnam left many holdovers. One of which was coffee.

P.S. The owners of that café in Hanoi LOVE dogs. And art. And making art of dogs? Whatever, I like it. And it makes me like their café even more!

The painting on the bottom-left kinda looks like a galloping giraffe amiright?

P.P.S. If you’ve gotten this far into the post, thanks! Just wanted to say thanks for stopping by. That’s all :D