4 Recipes To Step Up Your Coffee Game At Home

Dine & Unwind is a series dedicated to your indulgence, whether that be through dining, sipping or simply having a good time.

In March 2020, when most parts of the world had a taste of their first ever COVID-19 lockdown, dalgona coffee was all the craze. The frothy drink took off from South Korea, and people everywhere around the globe were having fun whipping it up.

Now that many major Vietnamese cities are, once again, in a slightly similar situation, many of us are probably looking for something to pass the time with while stuck indoors. If you’re no longer into dalgona, let Vietcetera introduce you to four other coffee recipes that’s also delicious and easy to make.

Egg coffee

If you’ve ever spent some time in Vietnam, you’ve probably at least heard about this drink. Egg coffee has an impressively rich history and flavor profile, and there are so many different renditions of it — not only from north to south of the country but also internationally.

Ingredients

• 1 egg

• 3 teaspoons roasted ground coffee

• 2 teaspoons condensed milk

Instructions

Step 1: Make a cup of coffee with a Vietnamese phin filter.

Step 2: Prepare egg cream

• Crack an egg, separating the yolk and white.

• In a bowl, pour in condensed milk and egg yolk. Add 2 vanilla drops if desired.

• Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture, until it forms a fluffy, ivory-white cream (1). Set aside a spoonful of this mixture.

• Add 1 teaspoon of coffee to the bowl then continue beating. The cream is ready when it’s loose and smooth but not melting (2).

Step 3: Serve

• Pour coffee into a glass.

• Top it with cream (2) using a spoon.

• Finish off with cream (1) on top for decoration.

• Sprinkle cocoa or cinnamon powder if desired.

Coconut coffee

This is the ideal drink for anyone who enjoys coffee for its sweet aroma and minus the bitterness. Coconut cream, with its natural sweetness and decadence, makes a perhaps unexpected but exceptional combo with coffee, yielding a complex flavor profile.

There are many ways to enjoy this drink. You can have coconut cream directly in the coffee with condensed milk, or whip it into a foam like in the recipe below.

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons roasted ground coffee

• 2 tablespoons condensed milk

• 2 tablespoons coconut cream

• 1 cup crushed ice

Instructions

Step 1: Make 50 ml of black coffee with a Vietnamese phin filter.

Step 2: Mix condensed milk, coconut cream and crushed ice in a blender

The longer the blending time, the finer the crushed ice and the better your drink will taste.

Step 3: Serve

• Pour coffee into a cup. You can also use a mixer to whip it first.

• Top with the coconut and ice blend. Add drops of condensed milk on top if you like it sweet.

Fudge coffee

The perfect coffee with a twist for lazy days. Fudge is traditionally a soft dessert made with chocolate, milk, butter and sugar, and this liquid version features more or less the same flavors of cocoa, milk and coffee.

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons roasted ground coffee

• 1 tablespoon condensed milk

• 1 tablespoon cocoa or chocolate powder

• 1 cup milk

Instructions

Step 1: Make a cup of hot black coffee (about 75-100 ml) and keep it hot.

Step 2: Mix condensed milk with cocoa or chocolate powder until forming a brown velvety liquid.

Step 3: Pour the liquid mixture into coffee. Top with milk, then sprinkle cocoa, cinnamon powder or sugar if desired.

Cold brew coffee

Cold brew has never lost its heat in the Vietnamese coffee scene and remains an indispensable item on the menu of high-end cafes. But did you know that you don’t really need a lot of special equipment or skills to make one at home yourself?

Ingredients

• 2.5 tablespoons roasted ground coffee

• 11 and a half cups cold water

• Water and ice

Instructions

Step 1: In a large glass bottle, mix coffee and cold water well.

Step 2: Seal the lid and let brew at room temperature

Leave it for one night or at least 12 hours.

Step 3: Using a sieve lined with a thin cloth, filter the coffee twice.

Step 4: When ready to drink, put ice in an empty cup. Pour in filtered coffee and water at a ratio of 1:1. Add milk if desired.

Translated by Jennifer Nguyen