Well, it is finally warm and not raining, so what could be better than enjoying my favorite Vietnamese Iced Coffee! I had always ordered this yummy treat when out a local Vietnamese restaurants, and then, I discovered I could make it at home!
It is very simple, just gather the following ingredients and wares:
Cafe Du Monde ground coffee (it's the one in that bright mustard-color can) - you can use other coffee but I have found this is the most popular used by restaurants here in the area)
Condensed milk - I favor the 'black & white' brand from my local Thai grocery - but you can choose your fav!
Metal individual drip coffee maker - these can be found in restaurant supply stores and are easy to find in the Asian grocery stores here
Okay, so now we have everything! Grab a tall glass (check to make sure your metal coffee maker fits on top) and add about 1/4-1/2" of the condensed milk to the bottom (I prefer less as I do not like my coffee really sweet - but add it to your taste as you test out a few coffees yourself!)
Place the metal drip cup on top of the glass (leave the filter insert out) and spoon in 2 heaping teaspoons of coffee.
Add the filter on top (do not press down to compact) and add your hot water - I have a Japanese hot pot that keeps water at a high temperature all the time - I love it - great when you need water for tea, oatmeal, etc and you never have to deal with boiling it.(My cat Dahlia loves the hotpot too - she thinks it is her new hot date!)
I add enough water to the top of the rim, and then a bit more for some extra yummy coffee - once the water flows through the coffee grounds into you glass , carefully remove the metal drip container (it will be hot from the hot water - doh!).
Now, before you do anything else grab a spoon to mix the milk (which is layered on the bottom) and the coffee - stir and swirl til you get all the condensed milk mixed in,
Grab some ice (I like to buy the big bags of ice from the grocery since I go through so much ice during summer making these)and fill your glass, add a fun straw, and you have a yummy, Vietnamese Iced Coffee to enjoy!
Feel free to add any variations you enjoy in my comments section - this is the recipe that works for my taste and I would love to hear others!
