Coffee Culture: The Coffee Style Guide (Vietnamese & Japanese)
Written by: Meraleigh Queener
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
The Culture of Coffee
Remember our talk a couple of days ago about coffee beans? We discussed the beauty, history, and nature of various types of coffee beans, where they come from and how they taste. The four primary types of coffee beans are Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa, and Liberica with each individualized with their own story, upbringing, and taste! Well, guess what? We're taking that convo to the next level deep-diving into the culture of coffee. We can take the knowledge we've gain regarding the various types of coffee beans and apply them to the global world of coffee acknowledging the ways coffee is made in different countries!
There are so many ways coffee is made and it's exciting to see how other people and places cultivate the traditions and practice of coffee creation! Maybe you can pick up a new technique or style of coffee to try this week!
Our lovely world of coffee ranges from Irish Coffee, Turkish Coffee, Italian Coffee and so much more with Vietnamese Coffee & Japanese Coffee being today's topic of exploration.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Being the second-largest coffee market in the world, Vietnam considers coffee as a high priority in their culture in their daily lifestyles. The French shared coffee with Vietnam in the 19th century and after the war, mass-production of coffee was established in the country. strong, dark, and robust tasteful brews define the coffee culture within the country as Robusta beans are the primary produce in the region.
Slow-brewing drip and a desire for steadiness, light-hearted conversation, and community win the race here in Vietnam with popular styles of receiving a heavy, rich dark brew is paired with sweetened condensed milk to offer balance serving a thick creamy richness to the full-bodied delight.
"The coffee maker is almost always drip coffee. The ubiquitous Vietnamese street coffee stalls utilize rudimentary aluminum drip filters. Coffee is traditionally brewed in individual portions using a phin (metal) filter, which consists of a small cup, a filter chamber and a lid that also functions as a container to catch dripping cups of exquisitely aromatic black coffee"
- Weaver's Coffee
As sweetened condensed milk is the most popular style of coffee in this culture, many also style their brew with whipped egg whites or a dollop of yogurt. The Robusta beans and metal filter is a crucial part of the unique taste of Vietnamese coffee.
How do you make Vietnamese coffee?
Hungry Huy explains that in order to brew Vietnamese coffee, you first need French roast coffee grounds, water, condensed milk, and a phin (a Vietnamese coffee filter). Boil the water and preheat the filter and cup by adding some water. Remove excess water, then add a heaping tablespoon of coffee into the filter. Twist the filter on top until there is some resistance and pour some water inside and wait for the grounds to expand before filling the filter all the way up. Brew for three to five minutes, then add the desired amount of condensed milk into the cup. (hungryhuy.com)
INGREDIENTS:
▢ 4 tsp Cafe Du Monde or Trung Nguyen coffee
▢ 2 tsp condensed milk to taste
▢ 1 cup boiling water
EQUIPMENT USED
▢ Vietnamese coffee filter (phin)
▢ insulated coffee mug
▢ gooseneck electric kettle
Watch the tutorial below to learn how to make this traditional treat and follow the sources links below for more help & specific instructions!
Sources:
Japanese Coffee:
According to Tokyo And Beyond, it may not surprise you that the coffee scene in Japan is one of the most popular practices and trends in the world. The coffee industry in Japan is constantly evolving and adjusting according to popular trends, new creations, and public demands.
History:
When coffee was first introduced to Japan in the 17th century, it was disliked by many as the harsh, bitter taste was often perceived by the people as something charred or burnt leaving an unpleasant experience with black coffee. The first coffee shop in Japan was owned by Eikei Tei (also known as Tsurukichi Nishimura), who was inspired by coffee shops in France where artists, writers, and designers arrived to socialize while enjoying a coffee. The coffee industry began to grow, then fall, and then grow again off and on up until the late '60s where coffee became available to the public once again after being banned during WWII where coffee was a luxury consumed only by the wealthy during that time period.
Convenience:
Today, the culture of coffee in Japan is booming and continues to increasingly thrive. One of the most important aspects of coffee in this region is its convenience. The Tokyo rush requires the quick, easy-access conveniences of coffee in hotels, shops, and local markets where people can utilize the iced or hot beverage on the go however and whenever. In Japan, there is a vending machine located nearly on every corner or block offering instant cans or bottles of coffee. Just like America, getting your daily dose of buzz is easier than ever. Heck yea.
Japan uniquely offers a 'Single Pack' of drip coffee with a filter included. It looks much like a teabag, just with coffee grounds. All you do is just attach the bag to your mug of choice, pour hot water over it, throw away the used filter and you are good to go! (Tokyo & Beyond)
How To Make Japanese Iced Coffee:
As JustOneCookBook explains, this popular Japanese styled-brew is simply coffee brewed with hot water, directly onto ice. One-third of the liquid is in the form of ice and the other two-thirds in the form of pour-over. This iced coffee has a more flavorful burst than cold brew does providing a subtle hint of caramel, chocolate, and berries.
"What makes Japanese iced coffee different from just adding ice to hot coffee? As you pour the hot water over the coffee grounds, it extracts a wide range of tasty flavors and aromatics from the ground coffee. As it drops onto the ice cubes, the ice cubes instantly lock those flavors by flash-chilling at the same time diluting the concentrate"
- JustOneCookBook
INGREDIENTS
▢ 1 oz coffee beans (Our preference is a light to medium roast with bright flavors. 1 Tbsp is roughly 5 grams but each coffee grinds weigh differently but close.)
▢ 5.3-5.6 oz ice
▢ 1 ½ cup hot water (plus additional water for step 2; 12.3 oz; Boiling water (212ºF/100ºC) over-extracts flavors from the grounds, which will result in a bitter brew)
INSTRUCTIONS
Start boiling water.
Pre-wet the filter and dump out the water from the cup.
Grind 30 grams of beans (I select "drip").
Add 150-160 grams of ice to the server.
Add ground coffee into the rinsed filter
Pour 20-25 grams of hot water (205ºF/96ºC), using a circular motion around the cone and fully wetting the grounds. Allow the coffee to steep for 30 seconds. Pour remaining hot water (up to 350g) so the total weight is 500g/500ml.
Serve the Japanese iced coffee with additional ice in a glass.
Watch the tutorial below to learn how to make this traditional treat and follow the sources links below for more help & specific instructions!