The much-loved drink called Cà phê muối (Salt Coffee) was born in a small, simply decorated coffee shop in Hue city (Central of Vietnam). The co-founder of this shop shared with CNN Travel in June: This drink made in 2010 consists of condensed milk, salt, black coffee and a mixture of cream on top to soften the bitterness of the coffee and balance the sweetness of the milk. The purpose of the owners when opening the café was to create a different type of drink to attract customers. They were successful with salted coffee. The shop owner said that Hue people have a habit of drinking black or milk coffee, so salt coffee is considered a new drink.
Salt coffee is currently one of the favourite drinks throughout Vietnam. Vietnam mainly grows Robusta coffee, and is the second largest coffee exporter in the world after Brazil. Salted coffee is popular in Hue and Vietnam today, which is not surprising because before that, coffee was people’s favourite drink. Even Starbucks’ branches in Vietnam have joined the salt coffee wave, launching their own version of salt coffee in May this year.
Traditional Vietnamese coffee is brewed with a filter and then placed on a cup or pot. Many people like to drink it with condensed milk, some people just add ice. In addition to salt coffee, before that, Vietnamese coffee was also known to many international customers for egg coffee, coconut coffee, yoghurt mixed with iced coffee or smoothie coffee.
