Salt in coffee? Trust us on this one. Vietnamese salt coffee pairs bold, dark coffee and sweet condensed milk with a cloud of lightly salted cream, and the result tastes like liquid salted caramel. It's one of the most talked-about coffee drinks in Vietnam right now, and it takes about 10 minutes to make at home with Highest Good coffee.

Where salt coffee comes from

Salt coffee (cà phê muối) comes from Huế, the old imperial capital in central Vietnam. It's generally credited to a husband-and-wife team who created it around 2010 at their café, simply named Cà Phê Muối. The drink spread from Huế across the whole country, and lately it's gone viral well beyond Vietnam.

If Hanoi is famous for egg coffee, Huế is famous for salt coffee.

Why it works

A small pinch of salt doesn't make the drink taste salty. It softens the bitterness of the coffee and makes the sweetness taste rounder and deeper. The cream's fat carries those flavours and makes them linger. The first sip is cool, slightly salty cream, then the strong coffee comes through underneath.

That's why salt coffee is traditionally made with Robusta-forward coffee: it's bold, chocolatey and strong enough to stand up to the condensed milk and cream. A Highest Good blend in Phin Grind is perfect here.

What you'll need

Equipment

• For the traditional way: a Vietnamese phin filter
• For the modern way: an espresso machine or a stovetop moka pot
• A tall glass
• A small bowl and an electric hand whisk or handheld milk frother

Ingredients (1 serve)

For the coffee

• Traditional way: 20g Highest Good coffee, Phin Grind (about 2 tablespoons), plus about 80ml water at around 95°C (boil the kettle and let it sit for 30 seconds)
• Modern way: a double espresso (about 18–20g Highest Good Espresso Grind) or 60–80ml of strong moka pot coffee
• 1–2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, to taste
• Ice (for the iced version)

For the salt cream

• 50ml thickened cream (or any cream around 35% fat)
• 1 teaspoon sweetened condensed milk (or 1 teaspoon caster sugar)
• 1 tablespoon full-cream milk
• A small pinch of fine sea salt (about ⅛ teaspoon), plus more to taste
• Cocoa powder or ground coffee, to dust (optional)

Step-by-step method

Pick how you'd like to brew your coffee, then make the salt cream and put it all together.

Option 1: The traditional way (phin filter)

This is how it's made in Huế: slow, strong and full-bodied. New to the phin? Our How to Brew: Phin Filter guide covers it in more detail.

1. Load the phin. Add the coffee, gently shake it level and rest the press on top. Don't pack it hard or the coffee will turn bitter.
2. Bloom. Pour in about 30ml of hot water, put the lid on and wait 60 seconds.
3. Brew. Pour in another 50ml of water, cover and let it drip for 4–5 minutes.

Option 2: The modern way (espresso machine or moka pot)

Quicker, and a great choice if you already have the gear at home.

1. Espresso machine: pull a double shot (about 40ml) using Highest Good Espresso Grind. See our How to Brew: Espresso at Home guide for dialling in.
2. Moka pot: brew a strong pot on medium-low heat, take it off as soon as it starts to gurgle, and measure out 60–80ml.

Make the salt cream and finish

1. Make the salt cream while the coffee brews. In a small bowl, combine the cream, condensed milk, milk and salt. Whisk for 1–2 minutes until it thickens to soft, pourable peaks, like melted ice cream. Stop before it turns into stiff whipped cream. Taste and add a few more grains of salt if you like.
2. Sweeten the coffee. Put the condensed milk in the bottom of your glass, pour the hot coffee over and stir until combined.
3. Add ice (optional). For the classic iced version, fill the glass with ice. For a hot version, skip the ice and use a smaller cup.
4. Top with salt cream. Slowly spoon or pour the salt cream over the coffee so it floats in a thick layer on top.
5. Finish. Dust with a little cocoa or ground coffee and serve straight away.

How to drink it

In Vietnam, you'd usually sip the first mouthful through the cream so you taste the salty-sweet layer on its own, then stir it through for a creamy, salted-caramel finish.

Variations

• Hot salt coffee: Skip the ice and serve in a small warmed cup. The salt cream melts in more quickly for a richer drink.
• Lighter salt cream: Swap half the cream for milk for a thinner, foamier topping.
• Cocoa salt coffee: Whisk ½ teaspoon of cocoa into the salt cream.
• No phin? French press: Steep 20g Highest Good Phin Grind in 100ml of water just off the boil for 4 minutes, then plunge slowly. Keep the ratio tight so the coffee stays bold under the cream and condensed milk.
• No phin? Pour-over: Brew 20g of coffee with about 100ml of water, pouring slowly in small circles. If you have a grinder, grind Whole Beans a little finer than usual for a stronger, more concentrated cup.

Tips for the best result

• Start with less salt than you think. You can always add more, but you can't take it out.
• Use fine salt so it dissolves straight into the cream.
• Chill the cream and bowl beforehand and it whips faster.
• Adjust the condensed milk to your taste. The salt makes the drink taste sweeter, so you may need less than usual.

Watch how it's made

Prefer to see it first? This short tutorial shows the whole process, start to finish:

• Vietnamese salted iced coffee – TikTok, @twaydabae

Make it with Highest Good

Our Vietnamese coffee is grown in the Central Highlands, the heart of Vietnam's coffee country, and roasted fresh in Australia. Choose Phin Grind for the traditional method, Espresso Grind for your machine, or Whole Bean to grind at home. Available in 250g, 500g and 1kg bags, with free shipping on orders over $50 and up to 15% off when you subscribe.

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