Why is Vietnamese salt coffee famous all over the world?

Vietnam's salt coffee is said to have originated in Hue - Photo: Getty Images

Many people even try to "adjust" their normal cup of coffee into a cup of salty coffee.

Salted coffee is made by adding sweetened condensed milk to regular coffee, then topping it with a layer of salted cream. It can be served hot or iced as desired.

Salty coffee has a salty taste so it is considered a strange drink.

The coffee shop is named after Salt Coffee in Hue is considered the place where this famous drink was "invented". Ms. Ho Thi Thanh Huong and Mr. Tran Nguyen Huu Phong are the co-founders of the shop.

The co-founders of Salt Coffee are Ms. Ho Thi Thanh Huong and Mr. Tran Nguyen Huu Phong - Photo: Salt Coffee

In an interview with CNN Travel , they said they came up with salt coffee in 2010 when they opened their first coffee shop at 10 Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Hue City.

According to Ms. Huong and Mr. Phong, if they want to open a coffee shop, they have to do something a little different to attract customers. And the taste of salty coffee has kept customers coming back to them.

“We hope the name ‘Salt Coffee’ will catch on because many people think coffee can only be mixed with sugar or milk.

In fact, at that time, Hue people often drank black coffee with sugar or condensed milk, so salty coffee with its salty taste was considered a unique drink.

We are truly grateful for our first customers.

They are willing to try this strange drink and give us feedback so we can perfect the flavor in the best way possible" - owner of Salt Coffee share .

Soon, salt coffee became known as a specialty drink of Hue city. And coffee shops all over Vietnam also began to serve this drink.

Even Starbucks Vietnam branch joined the salt coffee "wave", launching its own version of salt coffee in May this year.

5 steps to make delicious salt coffee

Salted cream mixture makes the salty coffee flavor more prominent

Ms. Huong and Mr. Phong also said: "In Hue, salt coffee is gradually becoming a daily drink like a normal coffee, so this trend brings many changes to our business activities."

The owner of Salt Coffee said the combination of condensed milk, salt and black coffee creates a mixture that softens the bitterness of the coffee and balances the sweetness of the condensed milk. This is what makes the salt coffee taste more prominent.

According to CNN, milk and cream balance the bitterness of coffee. Salt will enhance the sweetness, just like adding a little salt to caramel will make you feel the caramel flavor clearly when enjoying it.

Vietnam is not the only country that adds salt to coffee.

In 2023, a Bon Appetit article suggested adding salt to beers to reduce bitterness and enhance flavor.

And this has been going on for hundreds of years in countries like Türkiye, Hungary and in Siberia.

Founders of Salt Coffee Shop said most of their customers order salt coffee, although the menu also has other items like pickled plum and lemon. And the hot salt coffee is the best choice.

They said: "We feel happy and a little proud to have made a drink that is loved by many people, even considered a Hue specialty."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ca-phe-muoi-viet-nam-tai-sao-ma-noi-tieng-toan-the-gioi-20240630210830215.htm