Different ways to enjoy coffee

Coffee is the most popular drink with over 400 billion cups being consumed each year. In Vietnam, people drink coffee not because it keeps them awake. They love this kind of drink because of some stories hidden behind or because of moments they’re sipping and chatting. Let’s learn more about coffee – an easy-to-see beverage in Vietnam’s streets.

Best coffee brand in Vietnam

In 2001, Vietnam officially became the second coffee exporter in the world, earning more than one billion USD in profit. One of the most famous coffee brands in Vietnam is "Trung Nguyen". Surely all of us have known or heard the brand “Trung Nguyen coffee” for years. In Vietnam, Trung Nguyen is a well-known coffee brand. It is present in 60 countries around the world.

Trung Nguyen Group is Vietnam's leading coffee group, with the mission of "Connecting and strengthening lovers around the world."  With prestigious coffee products, Trung Nguyen is the only Vietnamese coffee brand that can be found on a few flights of Vietnam Airline, or used for some Summits.

Vietnamese coffee has just been popular for more than a hundred years, but coffee has become an indispensable drink for millions of Vietnamese and about 2 billion people on earth. Human’s emotion can be seen through the way they drink coffee. Right from the first time that we knew coffee through French, Vietnamese people from the elite to the peasants enjoyed this new and strange beverage.

Vietnamese coffee vs. American or Western coffee

Vietnamese have a special style of enjoying cafe, they do not consider coffee as a quick drink or anti-sleep substance as Americans or Western, they enjoy cafe as a culture: sipping and thinking. Sitting on the side of the cafe, just take a sip and read the newspaper, listening to music, chatting with friends, business partners… Depending on the type of coffee, people can feel the sour taste, the oiliness, and the aroma of different kinds of fruit. A good coffee is a cup of coffee that has natural flavor, a little bit light sour, it has the taste of darker oil and, more specifically, it radiates almond, fruit, butter and earthy odor. “Cafe phin” is considered to be the favorite drink of Vietnamese people. The feeling of waiting for every drop of coffee is interesting. It is even more fun to enjoy the finished product - it can be a hot cup of black coffee, with a little-condensed milk…

How do they drink coffee in Vietnam?

There are two types of coffee in Vietnam: milk coffee and ice coffee. Vietnamese dairy coffee uses sweetened condensed milk, unlike ready-mix coffee. Milk coffee in the North is often called brown coffee because the black has turned into yellow.

Coming to a restaurant, with the same drink but the Saigonese call milk coffee while the Hanoian call brown coffee. Both Saigon and Hanoi all see coffee as an indispensable culture in daily life, but each place has differences that can not be mistaken. Here is an interesting comparison between how to enjoy the coffee of Saigonese and Hanoian.

For the Saigonese, coffee is a popular drink of all people from the elderly to the young regardless of sex or status. Just a brief question: "Coffee huh?" and with a nod, a cup of coffee becomes the connection between two or more people. They can drink coffee at any time of the day, probably in the early morning with a scented ink newspaper, on a stool at the curb. Otherwise, Saigonese bring a cup of coffee next to a close friend, watching the strange quietness of the street at night. Hanoian are different, the most coffee-lovers are the elders, business people... They usually sip coffee in the morning in cold air and some sunshine through the trees. Hanoian do not sit too long but do not rush. For them, enjoying coffee is an art or a long story to tell.

Saigonese can drink coffee anywhere, from the sidewalk to a luxurious place. You can see a wide range of coffee shop in Saigon: pet coffee, book coffee or “café bet”. While in Hanoi because of crowded residents, the drinking place is also simpler. It may be a room of the old town or a small corner on the sidewalk.

Despite the differences, just enjoy the soluble coffee, both Saigonese and Hanoian are likely to find the same flavor in his hometown.

Coffee is also regarded as a feature of Saigon as well as a kind of Saigon’s street cuisine. The life is busy as an endless reel. Hurrying to school or work, but people still find their own moments: sitting in a coffee shop, sipping bitter coffee, sometimes enjoying a cigarette. Do you want to enjoy the feeling of sipping coffee? Here in Saigon, we offer some food and drink tours that bring you through the city, enjoying coffee and other special street food or beverages. Find your own coffee-drinking style by joining Saigon on Motorbike to become a part of Saigon!