Ten Things You Need To Know About Vietnamese Coffee

May 10, 2024 4 min read

Frequent questions we often get are "what is Vietnamese coffee" or "what makes it Vietnamese?"

We love answering these questions because it gives us a moment to share Vietnamese coffee culture to those willing to learn. Whether you're new to Vietnamese coffee, a casual coffee drinker, or a coffee connoisseur interested in deepening your knowledge in Vietnamese coffee, we got you!

Take a look at the Ten Things You Need To Know About Vietnamese Coffee:

Vietnamese coffee uses beans from Vietnam!
It's that simple. Vietnamese coffee uses beans that grow and originate on Vietnamese soil. Grown In Vietnam. Roasted In Brooklyn.
Vietnamese coffee is strong because of robusta bean.
Robusta beans have 2x more caffeine in comparison to arabica beans. Which means you'll get a higher boost of clean energy from a cup that is made with 100% robusta beans vs a cup of coffee that is only arabica beans.

Try these 100% robusta bean blends: Truegrit (Medium Roast with notes of Scotch, Grapefruit Zest, Bitter Melon) and Hanoi (Dark Roast with notes of Tobacco, Prunes, Graham Cracker).
Vietnam is the #1 producer of robusta bean in the world.
Over 90% of coffee production in Vietnam is dedicated to robusta bean. That's HUGE!
Just because your coffee has condensed milk, it doesn't mean it's Vietnamese coffee.
Cà Phê Sữa Đá (Vietnamese iced coffee) is traditionally made with condensed milk. Coffee shops all over are starting to put “Vietnamese coffee” on their menu, but the coffee itself may not feature coffee beans from Vietnam! Sure, it’s Vietnamese-style coffee. But other countries including Spain, Cuba and Thailand use condensed milk in their coffee, too! If we can focus on the bean and where it’s from, we can focus on the communities behind the bean.

Next time you order a "Vietnamese coffee" from your local spot, ask if it's made with beans from Vietnam. Understanding where everything you consume comes from helps increase transparency and holds everyone in the supply chain accountable.
The traditional brewing method of Vietnam is the phin filter.
The Vietnamese phin, phin filter, or phin drip, is a coffee brewing tool that is most commonly used in Vietnam. By utilizing a phin, you can get a super strong and concentrated cup of coffee, which we like to describe as a "Vietnamese espresso." Though the slow dripping phin filter is an iconic Vietnamese coffee experience, it does not need to be brewed through the phin filter to be considered Vietnamese coffee. Remember, it’s about the bean first and foremost! Everything after this including brew method and milk additions are personal preferences.
Vietnamese coffee is low acidic.
Vietnamese coffee is primarily robusta coffee, which is known for having 60% less sugars and fats than arabica. For those who are looking for coffee that is low or non-acidic, robusta coffee has a naturally less acidic profile and boasts more antioxidants.
Vietnamese coffee is high quality when grown, harvested and processed with care.
The industry has perpetually stigmatized all coffee in Vietnam as low quality, because Vietnam grew lots of cheaply-produced robusta for instant application driven by market demand. Due to some of the largest coffee companies in the world demanding a cheap coffee product, Vietnam’s industry focused on volume over quality for many years.

However, the industry has changed dramatically over the last 10 years, and Vietnamese specialty coffee continues to evolve as more farmers are experimenting with high-quality, premium robusta. At Nguyen Coffee Supply, we have been working with our farmers directly since 2018 to advance the quality of robusta. Our robusta coffee beans are hand picked at peak ripeness, processed through a full wash method and sorted for quality control. Through this level of investment, the cost of our robusta has increased by 275% over the last 5 years because we are investing in quality. At Nguyen Coffee Supply, taste and quality is the #1 priority to putting a consumable item on the market and helping to change the coffee industry by showing that a better robusta is possible.
Vietnamese coffee is bold and smooth.
Vietnamese coffee is known for its strong and bold flavors, all thanks to the robusta bean and a meticulous roasting process to bring out and enhance the flavor and experience. The chocolatey and nutty flavor profile goes down smooth, whether you like your coffee straight black or with a bit of cream and sugar!
Vietnamese coffee isn't just iced coffee.
Yes, if you enjoy hot coffee, you can brew your own Vietnamese coffee hot! A misconception is that Vietnamese coffee is only iced, but that is only one type of way to enjoy Vietnamese coffee. You can drink the beloved Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk without the ice!
Vietnamese coffee is versatile.
Whether you're looking for a traditional, artisanal experience or prefer convenience, you can have Vietnamese coffee YOUR WAY. When you're on-the-go and need a quick "Powered by Robusta" caffeine fix, our Vietnamese coffee cold brew cans are the perfect answer. If you prefer an authentic experience, our Original Phin Kit comes with Vietnamese coffee beans, of your choice, and a phin filter. Additional brewing methods like a French Press, Pour Over, Drip or Espresso also work fine with Vietnamese coffee!