Vietnamese coffee's knockout punch: flavors that leave tourists stunned

British tourist Ben Maguire took a solo trip to Ho Chi Minh City in February and was overwhelmed by the intensity of Vietnamese coffee. He joked that his caffeine intake could probably "power a small city."

Ben Maguire, a British tourist, poses in front of the cafe apartment at 42 Nguyen Hue Street, HCMC, February 2025. Photo courtesy of Ben Maguire

Maguire had heard from his friends that Vietnamese coffee was strong, so he tried a glass of iced black coffee on his first day in HCMC.

His experience went viral on social media, gaining nearly 400,000 views and 15,000 interactions.

In his post, he humorously described the first sip as delicious, the second as soul-leaving-the-body level, and by the third sip, he felt like he could start a business, run for president, and learn Vietnamese in 10 minutes.

Many foreign tourists agreed, recalling their own dizzying first encounters with Vietnamese coffee and laughing at the memory.

Ingrid Baghag, a French visitor, compared the strength of Vietnamese coffee to nuclear energy, while Dickie Suzuki from Hong Kong was overwhelmed by two glasses of ca phe sua da (iced milk coffee) that he had to rush back to his hotel, spending three hours pacing in his room to shake off the jitters.

David Poppinga, an American tourist, recounted a similar experience in Hanoi, where two cups of egg coffee left him dazed for an entire day.

As a regular coffee drinker, Maguire was surprised by the strength and bold flavor of Vietnamese coffee.

He remarked, "Vietnamese coffee is no joke. It is rich, strong, and shocking for first-timers."

Maguire appreciated the phin (filter) brewing method, saying it felt more like a ritual than a simple drink. During his week in HCMC, he tried various types, from iced black coffee to egg coffee, and the salt coffee.

He recalled sipping coffee on plastic stools by the roadside and watching the city go by, saying it made the coffee taste even better.

This love for Vietnamese coffee is not uncommon.

Hilary Hilton, an American tourist, confessed to missing the flavor of iced milk coffee after her trip to Vietnam, joking that the drink was "not for the faint-hearted".

In February, TasteAtlas ranked iced milk coffee second among the top 10 best coffees in the world. Three other types of Vietnamese coffees, iced black coffee, egg coffee, and yogurt coffee, also made it to the list of the 63 best coffees worldwide.

Cuong Pham, a coffee shop owner in Hanoi's Old Quarter, explained that Vietnamese coffee's strength comes from using robusta beans, which contain twice as much caffeine as arabica.

He explained that coffee plants naturally produce caffeine as a defense mechanism against pests. Robusta, grown in lower-altitude areas prone to pests, has higher caffeine content for protection, while arabica, cultivated at higher altitudes with fewer pests, has lower caffeine levels.

Cuong also noted that most foreign tourists, accustomed to arabica from Ethiopia or Kenya, often find themselves overwhelmed by the bitterness and strength of robusta-based Vietnamese coffee.

To prevent tourists from feeling dizzy, he often mixes robusta and arabica beans and adjusts the strength based on their preferences. He explained that the bitterness of robusta pairs well with condensed milk and whipped egg, while arabica's acidity would clash with these flavors.