Vietnamese iced coffee: build sweetness around a measured brew

Vietnamese iced coffee brings together concentrated coffee, sweetened condensed milk and ice. A phin is a useful way to prepare it: water drains through the grounds and a metal filter into the cup below. The milk supplies sweetness as well as dairy richness, so treating it like an equal substitute for unsweetened milk can make the drink unexpectedly sweet.

Start with the recipe recommended for your phin and record the coffee and water quantities. Set the brewer securely over a suitable cup, wet the grounds as directed, then allow the coffee to drain. Stir a small measured amount of condensed milk into the brewed coffee before adding ice. This makes it easier to dissolve the thick milk and judge the balance. Leave space for the ice rather than filling the glass to its rim.

Robusta-containing blends are common choices, but the drink does not require one supposedly authentic brand. Compare beans with the same milk quantity and ice load. Chicory-containing New Orleans blends offer a related variation; their flavor should be identified as a variation rather than presented as a requirement for every Vietnamese iced coffee.