How Good Are Vietnamese Coffee Beans & Popular Brewing Methods & Pricing Guide

When Vietnamese coffee beans come to mind, do you picture condensed milk and a metal drip filter, or the bitter edge of inexpensive Robusta? The Vietnamese government has just approved a coffee development plan worth up to 170 billion Vietnamese dong (more than 58 million Hong Kong dollars), with the aim of lifting bean quality, building a national brand, and raising both export volume and price.

Vietnamese Drip Coffee Uses Condensed Milk

The five-year plan will run from next year through 2023. Of the 58 million Hong Kong dollar budget, roughly 37 million Hong Kong dollars will come from the government, with the rest shouldered by private and state-owned organizations in the industry.

The plan targets a 5% increase in the total value of Vietnamese coffee beans before 2020, and a 7% increase by 2023, including growth in the production of both Arabica and Robusta. Vietnam actually ranks as the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, a position built largely on the extensive planting of Robusta by local private and state-owned organizations over the past 20 years.

The program covers the creation of large-scale, high-quality growing areas, together with new drying systems, storage equipment and processing facilities. Each designated area is expected to yield 2.7 tons of Robusta, or 2 tons of Arabica, per hectare.

Marketing support at home and abroad is part of the package as well, aimed at growing domestic sales and improving export prices. The Ministry of Agriculture predicts that Vietnamese coffee bean exports will reach a value of 2.34 trillion Hong Kong dollars this year.

Vietnam's Unique Coffee Culture

Vietnam has in fact always had a coffee culture of its own. Coffee arrived with the French in the 19th century, and the local climate proved well suited to growing Robusta. Because the bean's bitterness is so pronounced, drinkers got into the habit of adding condensed milk to soften it. Condensed milk rather than fresh milk was a practical choice: when the French first brought coffee to Vietnam, fresh milk spoiled too quickly, so the tinned version took its place.

Today, many Vietnamese coffee shops serve drip coffee directly to the table, letting guests watch the coffee fall drop by drop and sip it slowly. Beyond condensed milk, some shops also mix in egg yolk, cream cheese, butter or cheese, offering a fresh twist on the usual cup.

Egg Coffee Originating from Hanoi, Vietnam

Egg coffee is one of Hanoi's best-known inventions, and it grew out of exactly that spirit of improvisation: a strong base of coffee capped with a thick, custard-like layer built from whipped egg yolk, so the drink reads as much dessert as coffee. Visiting a Hanoi cafe and letting the cup arrive at the table to be sipped slowly is still the classic way to experience it.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Vietnam's place in the coffee world is inseparable from Brazil, the producer that sits just above it in the rankings, and if the bold, sweet character of a Vietnamese-style cup is what you enjoy, FrontStreet's Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a good place to start. Sourced from the well-known Cerrado growing region and processed as a pulped natural, this classic Brazilian single-origin is roasted to a medium level that draws out rich notes of creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel and hazelnut. The body is round and smooth, low in acidity and lightly bitter at the finish, and it brews beautifully as pour-over while remaining versatile enough for a moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon or French press.

For a condensed-milk style drink, or simply a sweeter, chocolate-leaning espresso, FrontStreet's espresso blend range is the more direct match. The classic blend and FrontStreet Coffee's Premium Blend are both built around a strong Brazilian base that adds chocolate and cream aromas along with a gentle balance of sweet, sour and bitter notes, while FrontStreet's Black Cocoa blend and its commercial blend round out the lineup with the same low-acid, balanced character that makes Brazilian coffee a favorite for milk-based recipes and keeps extraction stable from shot to shot.