My American friend couldn't stand up after finishing his first cup of Vietnamese coffee

VnExpress readers shared experiences of being overwhelmed by the intensity of Vietnamese coffee.

Reader Hoang shared a story about their foreign friend's experience: "I had an American friend visit Vietnam, so naturally, I took him out for coffee. I chose a clean, upscale café. Before ordering, I asked if he could handle Vietnamese coffee and warned him about its strength. He laughed and told me not to be worried. After all, he used to drink coffee by the liter every day.

So, I ordered his first cup. After one sip, he praised its bold flavor. Then, to my surprise, he downed the entire cup in one go. Seeing my reaction, he reassured me he’s fine, since he downed coffee like this all the time.

Turns out, he was used to drinking coffee from a well-known global chain with branches in Vietnam. He drank several cups daily without issue. But within 5-10 minutes of finishing his Vietnamese coffee, he started sweating and trembling. At first, I thought the heat was getting to him and suggested he rest. But he shook his head and said that he couldn't even stand up.

I realized he was experiencing caffeine intoxication. So I let him rest for an hour, drink several bottles of water, and eventually he felt better. I took him back to his hotel, where he lay in bed for the rest of the day. Since then, every time I invite him for Vietnamese coffee, he shakes his head and sticks out his tongue in horror."

Two cups of iced coffee. Illustration photo by Pexels

Many foreign tourists report feeling dizzy after their first cup, some even jokingly call it an "atomic bomb" for its strength. Most are used to Arabica beans from African countries like those from Ethiopia and Kenya, making Vietnam's robusta-based coffee a shock to their system.

It's not just foreigners. Many Vietnamese have also been overwhelmed by Vietnamese coffee.

Reader T.Tran recalled: "I got caffeine intoxication from Vietnamese coffee once, and I've been afraid of it ever since. I was in a supermarket when a promoter offered me a sample of Vietnamese-style milk coffee. It looked tempting, so I tried it. The coffee was delicious. I thought it was like the coffee from those global brands, so I finished the whole cup in 15 minutes. Soon after, my hands started shaking so much I couldn't type. Then dizziness, nausea, and vertigo hit me. I couldn't even keep water down in my stomach for the rest of the day. That night, I had to sleep sitting up because lying down made my stomach feel like it was flipping inside out. At 4 a.m. the next day, I finally managed to drink some milk and eat bread, which helped with the symptoms.

Since then, every time I hear 'authentic Vietnamese coffee', I get nervous. I have to dilute a cup of the coffee into three cups and add extra milk before I can take a sip. If you drink Vietnamese coffee, don't do it on an empty stomach and don't drink too fast. Otherwise, you'll regret it."

Reader Ktshoangdung disagrees that Vietnamese coffee beans are to blame to the intoxication many encountered: "Vietnamese robusta coffee is the same as in other countries—the difference is in how it's brewed. Vietnamese use a drip filter, where boiling water slowly seeps through tightly packed coffee grounds. Westerners use espresso machines, which force water through with pressure, extracting more liquid. Robusta brewed in a machine tastes sour and unpalatable, which is why people prefer the drip method. But pure robusta alone isn't strong enough to make people sick. The real problem is the additives in street coffee."