Ingredients
Salted cream
- 60 mldouble cream, cold
- 2 tablespoonssweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 teaspoonfine salt
- a few drops of vanilla, optional
Coffee
- 2 tablespoonsVietnamese robusta coffee, coarse ground
- 100 mlhot water, just off the boil
- 1 tablespoonsweetened condensed milk
To serve
- ice cubes, for the cold version
- a small clear glass
- a long spoon
Equipment
- a phin filter
- a small whisk or milk frother
Directions
- Salt suppresses the perception of bitterness. The salt should not be tasted as salt. Put the cold cream in a small bowl. Add the condensed milk and the salt. Add the vanilla if you are using it.
- Whisk it until it thickens noticeably. It should reach soft peaks and no further. Taste the cream before you use it. It should taste sweet with a savoury edge behind it.
- Adjust the salt a few grains at a time. Brewing the coffee is done fresh. Put the coffee grounds into the phin. Use a coarse grind rather than a fine one.
- Set the press disc on top of the grounds. Press it down gently but firmly. Pour a little hot water in to wet the grounds. Wait thirty seconds for them to bloom.
- Put the lid on and let it drip through. Judging the drip rate takes practice. Adjust the press for the next cup. Stir the condensed milk into the hot coffee. Pour that coffee into a small clear glass.
- Pour it over the back of a spoon. That slows it and keeps the layers apart. Fill the glass with ice cubes first.
- Pour the sweetened coffee over the ice. The cold version is more common in hot weather. Start with less salt than you think you need. You cannot take it back out again.
Technique
- The drink was invented in Hue in the twenty tens at a small cafe near the Perfume River and spread nationally from there.
- Salt suppresses the perception of bitterness, which is why a small amount rounds off strong robusta coffee.
Substitutions
- Any strong dark-roast coffee works if Vietnamese robusta is not available.
- A moka pot or strong espresso stands in for the phin filter.
Variations
- A cold version poured over ice is common in hot weather.
- Some cafes use a thicker cream topping closer to a cheese foam.
- Ca phe trung, egg coffee, is the other famous Vietnamese coffee drink.
History
Invented in Hue in the 2010s at a small cafe near the Perfume River and copied across Vietnam.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ca Phe Muoi?
Ca Phe Muoi is a drink from Vietnam: filter coffee over a salted whipped-cream topping, stirred before drinking. Invented in Hue in the 2010s at a small cafe near the Perfume River and copied across Vietnam.
How long does Ca Phe Muoi take to make?
Ca Phe Muoi takes 10 minutes of preparation and 5 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 1. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Ca Phe Muoi?
Yes, within limits. Any strong dark-roast coffee works if Vietnamese robusta is not available. A moka pot or strong espresso stands in for the phin filter.
What is the most important thing to get right in Ca Phe Muoi?
Adjust the salt a few grains at a time. Brewing the coffee is done fresh. Put the coffee grounds into the phin. Use a coarse grind rather than a fine one.
