Cà phê sữa đá, or Vietnamese Iced Espresso, is a kind of drinks that earns its repute with out making an attempt. Robust, concentrated espresso dripped slowly by means of a small steel filter onto a layer of sweetened condensed milk, then poured over ice. The consequence tastes prefer it took considerably extra effort than it did, which is at all times a satisfying consequence.

It’s additionally a drink that persistently brings readers again with questions, new variations, and the occasional sturdy opinion about condensed milk manufacturers. We noticed a variety of that debate in our previous Boards part, to make certain

We first revealed a How To on this drink again in 2007 in our previous Boards, and a proper step-by-step in 2013 which was up to date in 2017. It was carried over to our 2020 design, however sadly was omitted within the 2023 overhaul. Time to appropriate that. The core recipe hasn’t modified, as a result of the drink itself hasn’t modified. What has modified is the third part: I’ve gone significantly deeper into the historical past of this drink, and it seems to be a extra attention-grabbing story than most individuals anticipate

Vietnamese iced espresso is a gradual brew by design. Anticipate 4 to 5 minutes of drip time, and deal with that point as a part of the expertise reasonably than an issue to unravel. The sweetened condensed milk is structural to the recipe, not a garnish. In the event you’re working round dairy, alternate options exist and I’ll cowl them after the steps, however with out the condensed milk you’re making a unique drink completely, and possibly a lesser one.

The phin filter, should you don’t already personal one, is cheap, extensively obtainable, and price having. It’s a four-part steel machine with no paper filters, no electrical energy, and no transferring items, and it produces a cup that may embarrass tools costing ten occasions as a lot. The whole lot else you probably have at dwelling already

Like all our How Tos, after the steps we go deeper into the phin filter and the way it truly works, the espresso finest suited to this drink, the colonial-era historical past behind cà phê sữa đá and the way condensed milk turned its defining ingredient, scorching preparation, and the regional variations price understanding.