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History · 2 min

From mission gardens to the world’s No. 2: a short history of Vietnamese coffee

How a few French-planted arabica trees in 1857 became a robusta empire, a phin on every table, and a café culture built on condensed milk and patience. The story runs through colonial plantations in the Central Highlands, decades of war and rationing, and the Đổi Mới reforms of 1986 that turned a struggling crop into the country’s great export.

History · 2 min

From mission gardens to the world’s No. 2: a short history of Vietnamese coffee

Viet coffee all started with a random experiment: French colonials tucked a few arabica plants into the soil of northern Vietnam. That little experiment ended up putting a whole country on the world's coffee map! The plants struggled with the heat though, so farmers turned to Robusta, a tougher, bolder bean.

Then war hit, and the story went quiet. The industry stayed small and local to Vietnam, and farms were eventually placed under government control, which slowed things down even more. It wasn't until 1986 that reforms opened up the economy and let people farm for themselves. They flooded into the Central Highlands, where the rich red volcanic soil was perfect for Robusta.

In about 15 years, Vietnam went from coffee bystander to the world's second-largest exporter, right behind Brazil. A lot of the instant coffee you drink probably came from Vietnam.

So how did condensed milk become such an important ingredient? Fresh milk was hard to find in the French colonial days, so sweetened condensed milk got swapped in. The coffee drips slowly through a phin right at your table, onto just the right amount of condensed milk. Then in 1940s Hanoi, a bartender named Nguyễn Văn Giảng ran short on milk and whisked egg yolks with sugar instead. That's how we got cà phê trứng, a silky, custardy egg coffee (something I still need to try).

Viet coffee is something I truly enjoy. Whether I'm out with friends looking for a nice spot to sip and relax, or I have a lot of work to do and need to lock in, it always has me coming back for more!

Latest reviews

Madame MaiVietnamese Condensed Milk Coffee

I love the presentation of this coffee, it hurts me to stir it up. The owner is very sweet and I always have a great conversation when I visit.

July 15, 2026Katy, Texas

LaviSalted Cookie Butter Vietnamese Coffee

After moving to Austin this was one of the first places I tried a viet coffee. I arrived and found out it was a food truck in downtown! I decided to try their 'in rotation' drinks, leading me to order the Cookie Butter

September 11, 2026Austin, Texas

8.8

Hien From VietnamTraditional Vietnamese Coffee

I was in New York for a wedding and decided to find the highest rated shop for coffee. Hien came up and the inside was stunning. You are able to choose your sweetness and caffeine as well! I decided to let the barista decide and surprise me

August 26, 2026New York, New York

8.5

Tom n TomsVietnamese Coffee

This is my go-to coffee when I need to lock in. Every time I go to this coffee shop, order the viet, I get so much work done. The taste isn't the best, but the caffeine content is perfect.

July 17, 2026Katy, Texas

7.5

Dam Coffee BarClassic Vietnamese Coffee

I remember having this coffee for the first time after visiting Austin for Halloween. I was tired from the night before and was excited to try a new spot. The taste wasn't anything special, and it didn't wake me up

September 17, 2026Austin, Texas