My Dad’s Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Dá)
Vietnamese iced coffee is a drink I associate most with my dad because he made it best. For him, making Cà Phê Sữa Dá (as he likes to call it) was a ritual. In this blog post, read all about how he makes it the authentic Vietnamese way.
Growing up, my dad didn’t cook very much, but he did make one thing really well – Vietnamese coffee or what my parents called Ca Phe Sua Da. I know I know…how hard could it possibly be to make something that has only 2 ingredients? Well when we make it in our family, it’s more of like a ritual. My dad uses a traditional Vietnamese coffee filter, and while it does take longer, it’s very much worth it. This recipe is my dad’s tried and true method for how to make Vietnamese coffee – ice optional!
The type of coffee you use DOES MATTER
Since this Vietnamese coffee recipe only has 2 ingredients, the quality of the ingredients does matter. All my life, I’ve had Vietnamese iced coffee with a variety of coffee but the only one that I keep coming back to is Cafe Du Monde, specifically the coffee and chicory. This is the one pretty much every Vietnamese household and Vietnamese restaurant has. If you go to an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, they’ll probably have an empty Cafe Du Monde can as a tip jar! That deep, rich bitter flavor of this coffee pairs really well with the super sweetness of condensed milk. It’s just the best, and there is no real substitute in my opinion. If you want an authentic experience, stick with Cafe Du Monde coffee.
How my dad makes Vietnamese coffee
Why my dad filters twice
This is what really sets my dad’s recipe apart from other recipes. He filters the coffee not once, but twice. This ensures that the water is imbued with a strong coffee flavor. That strong coffee flavor is a key characteristic of an authentic Vietnamese coffee experience.
Other applications of Vietnamese coffee
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to create my own variation of this drink and this Vietnamese flavor. I’ve added matcha powder to my Vietnamese coffee in my Matcha Vietnamese Iced Coffee recipe and tried a Vietnamese community favorite – Vietnamese egg coffee. I’ve also started using this combination of coffee and condensed milk to flavor dessert recipes like Vietnamese Coffee Tiramisu or Vietnamese Coffee Marble Cookies.
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Get the Recipe:
My Dad’s Vietnamese Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Dá)
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 2 tbsp ground coffee
- 2 tbsp condensed milk
Equipment
Instructions
- Boil 1 1/4 cups of water.
- Scoop 2 tbsp of coffee into the Vietnamese coffee filter. Place the coffee filter on top of a cup.
- Pour the boiling water into the coffee filter without overfilling it. Do this a few times until you run out of water.
- In a second cup, add 2 tbsp of condensed milk. Adjust the amount of condensed milk based on your sweetness preferences.
- Place the coffee filter with the coffee still in it on top of the second cup. Pour the coffee from the first cup into the coffee filter.
- Mix together the brewed coffee and condensed milk.
- Optional: Pour coffee into a cup of ice and enjoy!
Notes
