Vietnam coffee PHIN

Robusta + Condensed milk + a Phin = Typical Vietnam coffee Phin

In Vietnam, coffee is often made from Robusta. Robusta is intentionally roasted dark, and sometimes mixed with other ingredients, such as corn, to improve its flavor and increase yield.

Robusta coffee contains more caffeine and less sugars than Arabica coffee, and thus typically tastes “stronger”, which is a subjective term, or as some might even say “harsher”. The Robusta coffee shrub produces more caffeine to protect itself from insects and diseases and offers farmers a better yield-per-area, which is great for low-cost production. As such, Robusta has become the go-to coffee bean used for instant coffee and manufacturers of caffeinated products and energy drinks. In turn, this has given Robusta a reputation of low-quality, high-quantity, low-cost beans—a stigma that the burgeoning high-quality Robusta movement is actively working to combat.

CONDENSED MILK AS A SUBSTITUTE

The use of sweetened condensed milk as an addition to coffee has a long history in Vietnam. It dates back to the 1850s, and the establishing of French colonial rule. At that time, it was difficult to get fresh milk and thus condensed milk proved to be an effective alternative, as it lasted longer in the tropical climate and didn’t need to be refrigerated. Although fresh milk was available later on, condensed milk had caught on and became a staple with Vietnamese coffee as it was cheap, but more importantly, mixed well with the bitterness of dark roasted Robusta. Despite concerns over calories, condensed milk solely contains milk and sugar (that’s it!), and if you’re someone who regularly adds syrups or sugars to your coffee, then traditional Vietnamese coffee isn’t really any more or less caloric than what you might regularly drink. No matter where you stand on the question of health, you should try coffee with condensed milk at least once—it can be absolutely delicious.

Ref:

Coffee In Vietnam: History, Phin, Facts, And Myths