Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cafe Sua Da)

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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.

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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!