If you ask us about Vietnam and its craze for its specialty Vietnamese coffee, we would just put it simply as the fact that the iced milk Vietnamese coffee is so popular that it lures tourists, ambassadors, and heads of state to come and enjoy an affair of this firm and bold beverage.

This bold signature coffee is rightly termed rocket fuel because it gives you the coffee shot boost of energy and launches you into a positive state of mind. 

A little about the Vietnamese coffee culture

Vietnamese consider coffee as an emotion rather than an average popular beverage. As some Asian countries consider tea an emotion and have creatively enhanced the notes and undernotes of tea, coffee is labelled a way of life in Vietnam. 

For some cultures, coffee is the perfect pick-me-up drink! For Vietnamese, it is a drink that strengthens the bond between friends, embraces the beauty of community culture, and does not hinder the sleep cycle. You will find Vietnamese baristas open at 4 am in the morning and running late till 10 pm uninterruptedly, serving the best coffee by the roadside and seamlessly satiating the caffeine needs. People wake up to coffee and drink it right before bedtime, and this is not even considered an addiction. They drink it throughout the year, in happiness, to indulge in get-togethers, joy, during stress, or in sadness. In short, coffee is an inherent part of their lives, and people consider it their ally to help them deal with life. While relishing their coffee, Vietnamese gather in groups and indulge in ba-tam, the local term for gossip. 

From knowing about the neighbourhood to share their political views, the coffee is a witness to all! You can also spot the artists, poets, and writers sitting at a humble joint along the roadside, with a cup of strong coffee, looking at the winding lanes or railway tracks and conjuring beautiful thoughts about their latest creations. Such is coffee’s power; it makes people think and opine. Since the French introduced this drink in the late 1800s, the Vietnamese adopted it and used their skills and creativity with signature drinks that the world marvels at! The second largest coffee exporter globally, Vietnam takes pride in its home-grown product that has lured millions of connoisseurs of harmless indulgence. 

Some must-visit places for coffee in Vietnam

97% of Vietnamese coffee consists of bold, robusta beans, and only 3% arabica beans. This means you must be ready to embrace a brave, strong, and nutty flavour to take you off the beaten path. If you are a lucky globe trotter and landed in Vietnam, below are popular Vietnamese cafes that serve world-class coffee. Note these in your travel itinerary to take advantage of some soul-quenching experiences. 

Cong Ca Phe, Highlands Coffee, The Coffee House, Trung Nguyen Legend Café, King Coffee and Kafa Cafe, AHA Cafe, and Phuc Long Coffee are some of the sought-after baristas that give tourists a caffeine rush to remember for a lifetime. These labels have created a legacy in Vietnam and delight customers and tourists with their careful selection of beans, skillful concoctions, robust drips, mouth-watering savouries, and ambiance. 

How did Vietnamese creatively enhance their barista experience?

Vietnamese used their culinary skills and passion to brew the best coffee in their cup, enhancing the coffee experience passed to them by the French. If you visit Vietnam, you must try lip-smacking coffee smoothies consisting of a blend of coffee, yogurt, and fruit. Be mesmerised by the tongue tanatslising effects of coconut, egg, and yogurt coffee as some signature Vietnamese coffee-concoctions. 

That is precisely what Vietnam and the Vietnamese feel about coffee. The caffeine shot did more to them than we would know and they amplified the offering. The relatability of the sweet-bitter notes of coffee and life has made coffee a necessity in Vietnam, a sweet addiction they don't mind!