Alongside Italy’s ristretto, Vietnamese iced coffee takes the top spot in the rankings, with a score of 4.6 out of 5 stars from Taste Atlas reviews.
Foreigners highly praise this famous Vietnamese delicacy.
Taste Atlas, a website known as the “world food map,” has released a list of the best coffees on the planet. It’s a guide for travelers seeking to enjoy excellent coffee while exploring. The ratings were updated in February.
Vietnamese iced coffee received a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from culinary experts. The score is based on votes from those who have tried it and would add it to their list of drinks to enjoy when the opportunity arises. “This is a drink that combines black coffee brewed with a phin, condensed milk, and ice. There’s also another version, with just coffee and ice (black iced coffee).”
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the sweet taste of condensed milk has turned coffee into an affordable, approachable, and delightful drink for all Vietnamese people. One can have iced coffee anytime, anywhere—whether needing a pick-me-up, quenching thirst, or simply unsure what to order, a glass of iced coffee is always a good choice.
Vietnamese Coffee Culture
As part of “Vietnamese coffee culture,” iced coffee is increasingly transformed and innovated in more modern ways, yet it retains the goodness and romance of the past. There’s no need for complexity; it’s just coffee with condensed milk and ice. But this beverage seems to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. Whether it’s less milk, more coffee, more milk, or even a milk coffee with a little added coffee, as my colleague in the company calls it—iced coffee is always approachable, just as my friend often says: “Anyone in Saigon has had iced coffee!”
Last February, Vietnamese iced coffee was honored to be ranked second on the list of the world’s top 10 best coffees on the Taste Atlas food website—a world food map.
Vietnamese people first encountered coffee when this unique drink followed the French into Vietnam in the mid-19th century. Unlike Western countries, where coffee is often consumed with fresh milk, in Vietnam, coffee is “modified” in a unique way by stirring in a bit of condensed milk, waiting for the ice to melt, and then slowly savoring.
This innovation has given iced coffee a very distinct flavor, completely different from the famous coffees of other countries. It has a rustic, lingering charm but is also impressive because of its exquisite and distinctive taste.
Originating from Saigon, iced coffee gradually seeped from street vendors to luxury five-star restaurants across the S-shaped country and crossed borders to all continents. Today, wherever you are in the world, you can enjoy that rich, intense flavor.
With the harmonious combination of bitter-sweet, robust-creamy, iced coffee has become familiar in the daily lives of the Vietnamese. It appears not only in sidewalk stalls but also in luxurious spaces. It seems everyone sees drinking a glass of iced coffee as a more complete start to the day.
In the culture of enjoying Vietnamese coffee, condensed milk next to the coffee filter creates a unique highlight. The coffee preferences of the Vietnamese do not follow any standard; each region will have different ways of enjoying coffee. For example, people in the South prefer iced coffee over hot, while those in the North like the warm, dense taste of coffee brewed with a filter.
For true Vietnamese iced coffee enthusiasts, drinking it is not just for alertness or the distinctive bitter-sweet taste but also for the pleasure of leisurely watching each drop of coffee slowly flow through the filter, blending with the condensed milk.
The lyrics of the song “Saigon, iced coffee, still the same, have you tried it or not?” somewhat reflect the rustic coffee culture, unchanged through generations but still full of the vibrant taste of urban life.
What Makes Vietnamese Iced Coffee Special?
It’s not by chance that Vietnamese iced coffee was voted the world’s second-best—higher than lattes or cappuccinos. The simple reason is the harmonious combination of flavors: the bitter taste of coffee and the sweet, fragrant richness of condensed milk create a unique and captivating flavor for Vietnamese iced coffee. Alongside coffee, it’s undeniable that the key to creating a rich and authentic cup of coffee is condensed milk. Therefore, choosing the right type of condensed milk that complements the coffee is the top criterion that cafe owners and baristas (coffee brewing experts) always focus on and diligently seek.