SK Store
Become a Fan
Follow Me
SubscribeTuesday, June 10, 2008
Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cafe Sua Da)
Thanks to two of of my fellow Asian bloggers WhiteOnRice and Wandering Chopsticks, I learned a few secrets to some great recipes that I shared on TV last month…come take a look at the video.
When you get to ABC’s site, click on FEATURED VIDEO right below recipe name.
Vietnamese iced coffee is almost like a dessert to me – sweet, lush and I could just savor it little sip by little sip.
I’ll show you how to make Vietnamese Iced Coffee, or Cafe Sua Da (in Vietnamese):
How to make Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cafe Sua Da)
1) French roast medium coarse ground coffee: You can use any type of coffee really, many Vietnamese use Cafe Du Monde French Roast Chicory coffee, but as long as the coffee is medium coarse ground, you can use it. Fine ground coffee would fall right through the little holes of the coffee press.
2) Sweetened condensed milk: It’s the sweet, sticky, thick stuff – NOT evaporated milk! No substitutions here!
3) Vietnamese coffee press: Found at any Asian market – usually between $1.50 and $4.00. Here are some resources.
4) 2 glasses: one filled to the brim with ice.
***
Step 1: Add 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to a glass
Step 2: Add 2 tablespoons of ground coffee to the base of the coffee press
Note: if you want a much stronger coffee, Wandering Chopsticks recommends to wet the grounds just a bit to let them expand. About a spoonful of water should do the trick!
Step 3: Screw on the press tight. The coffee should be packed well.
Step 4: Pour boiling hot water into the coffee press.
Cover with its little hat.
Step 5: Wait. It will drip veeerrrry….veeerrrry slowly.
The longer it takes, the stronger the coffee. Notice that there are only a few drops per second. For me, I can’t wait any longer than 5 minutes. If the coffee is dripping too fast, then use a small spoon or tip of knife to screw the press on tighter, 1 turn clockwise. Or if it’s dripping too slow, unscrew 1 turn counterclockwise.
While it’s dripping, go get some ice in a glass. You’ve got nothing else to do!
Step 6: Once it’s finished, stir well.
You can set your coffee maker on top of its overturned lid to prevent dripping onto your nice table.
Step 7: Pour over ice and enjoy!
Print Recipe
Share
Email
Facebook
TwitterYou Might Also Like...
71 Responses to “Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cafe Sua Da)”
Leave a Comment
-
Cookbook
101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner
by Jaden Hair -
Favorite Stuff
Pitt Mitt - Use all 5 fingers instead of trying to wrestle hot items with puppet hands.
Hurom Slow Juicer - The very best juicer in the world - Bon Appetit names it best new appliance.
Gravity Pepper Mill - Spice it up one-handed, just turn it upside down.
SK Store
Thanks so much for the recipe! I always order the coffee when out at Vietnamese restaurants. Wish there were more in DC – the city, not the burbs!
This looks so refreshing. This is the second Vietnamese Iced Coffee recipe I’ve seen recently, so obviously it’s a sign I must try this out immediately
This is just like how the South Indians make coffee, except that they serve it with boiled milk rather than condensed milk, but also very very sweet. It is the best coffee I have ever tasted, so I will have to make it this way now.
I did a post on South Indian coffee if you are interested.
Thank you for the instructions. My Vietnamese friend gave me the press, the condensed milk and the coffee but the instructions were in Vietnamese! LOL!
Love, love, LOVE!!! Thank you!
That’s a yummylicious Ca phe sua da and Ca phe sua nong!!! I just ran out the coffee! Gorgeous photos as always!!!
Cheers
pixen
I recently re-visited Viet Nam; the first two trips were 40 and 37 years ago I did’t get to try this style of coffee then, but I made up for it on this trip.
Fantastic stuff. I brought back three of the coffee makers and a couple pounds of coffee and my morning routine includes an ounce of ca phe sua.
Though my wife and some of my friends classify me as a “coffee snob”, I’m not really a snob, but I know what I like.
In order to make this right, I believe you must use a real Vietnamese roast…I’ve experimented with others and though the New Orleans coffees make a suitable substitue, it just doesn’t have the same flavor.
Vietnamese coffees are available here in the states (most orietal markets carry it) and is worth the effort to find some. Some stores carry the coffee filters and are cheap.
If you haven’t tried it, I think you’re missing a real coffee lovers delight.
Oh i can’t wait to try this! It is just what I am looking for, I will be saving it for my caffeine fix!
I tried to make this, but how do you not get the coffee grounds from straining through the filter? I’ve screwed the filter as tight as it can go, but i still get little flecks that my BF hates. I really do not mind them, but he cannot enjoy it the same.
Any suggestions?
uuhhh very nice… have to try that !
What can we say – YUMMY!
gorgeous photos, great tutorial. found you through a google search! can’t wait to turn this into an ice cream!
This looks so good, thanks for the tutorial! One thing: I’ve noticed many bahn mi shops will serve their iced coffee over crushed, almost slushie-like ice.
Looks so velvety and smooth. I love it.
May I suggest a guide for coffee grinding? I saw you were linking to one.
It’s here: http://www.coffeegrindersreviews.com/edu/coffee-grind.html
eee
I love this cafe drink! It tastes so good! I love how it’s not to bitter than other coffee and I love how it goes good with the condense milk! Definitely a favorite drink of mine!
Is it true they also use cold press coffee because it doesn’t have a slightly bitter aftertaste?
Thanks sooo much!!! I just had some of this at a Vietnamese restuarant, and it was sooo good I came home and looked up how to make it, thanks again!!! =)
Have enjoyed Vietnamese coffee since the 60s. One comment… if you grind the beans too much, they will fall through to the cup below and take just about forever to make a decent cup. Medium grind works for me and just back out the screw a bit before adding water.
This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe and visual shots – now I want to make it ^^
Definitely was craving condensed milk with bread (a childhood favorite!) and I didn’t want to just pop open a can of condensed milk and leave it sitting there for days upon weeks… So I figured, since I had family in town, I’d make cafe sua da. What really got me was my uncle and my brother added a shot of cognac to their cups!
What a big surprise! IT. WAS. DELICIOUS!