Why Does Vietnamese Coffee Have Condensed Milk Instead Of Regular Milk?

If you have ever had Vietnamese iced coffee, you know that it tastes different from your regular cuppa! The reason is that this special coffee uses sweet and creamy condensed milk instead of regular milk. But have you ever wondered why they don’t use regular milk? The answer is not about any coffee experiment but dates back to Vietnam’s coffee history.

Why Do Vietnamese People Use Condensed Milk In Coffee?

Made from strong dark-roast Robusta beans, hot water and sweet condensed milk, a glass of Vietnamese coffee did not originate just because people wanted a sweeter cuppa. It has a very interesting reason behind it. According to Wikipedia, during French colonialism in Vietnam, there was a shortage of fresh milk in the country as dairy farming was not quite developed. So, to make a version of café au lait, they had to resort to alternatives. 

On top of this main reason, Vietnam also faced a lot of heat, which resulted in fresh milk getting spoiled. So, the French and Vietnamese people came up with an amazing idea. They started using imported sweetened condensed milk in their brews. It was easily available and had a longer shelf life too. And since then, it has become an important part of Vietnamese coffee.

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There’s One More Interesting Reason

But that’s not the only reason. According to Wikipedia, Vietnamese coffee is best made with dark-roast Robusta. And surprisingly, this type pairs up perfectly well with condensed milk. Compared to medium-roast Robusta, dark-roast coffee is more bitter and has more caffeine. This bitterness can perfectly offset the overly sweet taste of condensed milk. This way, the coffee tastes similar to café au lait, which is perfectly sweetened. 

After some years, Vietnamese people started adding ice cubes to the coffee to beat the heat, resulting in the popular Vietnamese iced coffee, which is now enjoyed all across the world. Today, condensed milk is used in a number of coffees in Vietnam. In fact, Vietnamese people are quite experimental with their coffee and just don’t stick to the usual recipes. They often add eggs, fruits, salt, coconut water, yoghurt and more to create different types of brews. 

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The reason behind its origin is quite interesting, right? Have you ever tried Vietnamese coffee?

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/ Premyuda Yospim