Vietnamese Drinks & Beverages: Drink to the Fullest
Vietnam is nothing short of scrumptious food where you can devor all kinds of fine dining and street food, from the most luxurious restaurants to street sidewalks. This is no exception with the list of exotic Vietnamese drinks and beverages that may worry you just to think about what to drink.
Some Vietnamese drinks are not only tasty but also healthy. A splendid array of drinks that is both unique and refreshing really forms a crucial part of Vietnamese cuisine. Plus, these Vietnamese drinks and beverages will make it easier for you to survive Vietnam’s unforgiving heat and enjoy your trip to the fullest.
Must-try Vietnamese drinks & beverages
Besides the list of Michelin Star Restaurants in Vietnam, the never-ending drink menus offer you authentic tastes that you just cannot resist. Here is a comprehensive list of Vietnamese drinks and beverages you should try.
Coffee
The signature drink of all time in Vietnam is no doubt coffee. Vietnamese coffee has become a part of Vietnamese culture. It was the French who first introduced coffee to Vietnam, but the Vietnamese have creatively changed it into a drink of their own. If you want to find something different from ordinary coffee shops, there are numerous sidewalk cafés for you to sip a cup of coffee in style.
There is no need to hasten if you fall in love with ‘Ca phe phin’ or drip coffee. It takes several minutes of dripping to fill a full cup, and you will get what you wait for – a deeply satisfying flavor. Another popular cup of coffee for leisure is iced coffee with condensed milk. This combination is just great to dissolve your morning daze and perk you up for the day.
If you are on a Hanoi Full Day City Tour, don’t miss out on a chance to enjoy a cup of egg coffee. Though the popularity of the egg coffee has gone far all over Vietnam in both the North and the South, egg coffee in Hanoi is a source of incomparable uniqueness. Discover the top layer with thick egg mixture floating on top of the second layer of strong espresso – It’s so good to be true!
Iced Tea
Nothing is cheaper and ‘friendlier’ than a cup of iced tea. You can order it everywhere from any eatery after the main meal or sit on a good plastic stool in a park and enjoy quick refreshments. After you eat a hot bowl of Pho or you want to stabilize your blood glucose after a sweet soup dessert, iced tea will cool you down. It is not a good drink if you look for something special, but it is always something good to quench your thirst.
If you really want a more complicated version of iced tea, try iced tea with lemon (and sugar). A little sourer and a little sweeter taste will signify leisure. Iced tea reminds the image of Vietnamese villages that remain in the heart of people living in big cities. It is not really logical to create the term ‘the art of making iced tea’ but you can always make your cup of iced tea more ỉnteresting by finding a good location to view the city and people.
Fresh Coconut Water
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For tourists, the Mekong Delta brings to mind floating markets and sampan rides through natural tunnels. While you treat your eyes with amazing coconut- and fruit-laden boats, don’t forget to cool your body with a tropical drink. To get a true taste of rural scenery, lay in a hammock and enjoy some fresh coconut water that is tasty, refreshing, and very trendy.
Coconut water is extremely popular in the Mekong Delta, and especially in Ben Tre Province where coconut trees make it Vietnam’s coconut kingdom. Here you can find everything from coconut, from juice, milk, candy, rice to household items and souvenirs. You can bring home some unique souvenirs from Vietnam made out of coconuts. There is so much to enjoy than the landscape in the Mekong Delta!
Sugarcane Juice
In the sweltering heat in Vietnam, there is nothing better than a sugarcane juice blessing. A perfect couple must be Saigon street food and sugarcane juice. Wandering around the city, you will easily see eye-catching carts selling ‘Nuoc mia’ that are hard to be missed. It will not take more than five minutes to get a tempting sugarcane juice right in your hand. It is not all about sweetness as fresh kumquats may be added to balance the taste.
You can stop at a brand-new cart or an old-fashioned juice machine. For the latter, you will have an opportunity to watch the local vendor slowly operate the hand-cranked sugarcane juicer that takes in one sugarcane at a time. Then comes beautiful green colored sugarcane juice that is so sweet and delicious. It is a skill to watch!
Lotus Tea
It’s tea again but this type of Vietnamese drink brings a totally different experience. Lotus tea joins the Vietnamese drinking culture with a special story behind every cup of tea. The odorous scent of lotus twisting harmoniously with the bitter taste of tea makes up a new tea with unique flavor, texture and color.
To make the taste less bitter and increase the fragrance of lotus, tea buds and leaves will be kept in an earthen jar covered with banana leaves and stored in nearly two years. Drinking lotus tea is not time-consuming, it is a combination of aesthetic aspects, even from the preparation. Water will be boiled and cooled down to 80-90°C then it is poured into the teapot and covered for about five minutes.
If you are on a trip in Northern Vietnam, there is a good chance to enjoy a hot cup of tea with locals and comment on the fine aroma of the tea. Many travelers have strongly recommended the tea demonstration aboard cruises on the Bai Tu Long Bay as one of the must-have experiences in Vietnam.
Rice Wine
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Those who are vacationing in Vietnam will eat rice in many settings in the knowledge that rice is an integral part of life in Vietnam. It’s no wonder that the Vietnamese also derive one of their favorite beverages from rice. Rice wine also plays a key role in many traditional activities and rituals across the country.
Each region features its own distinctive wine (‘ruou’ in Vietnamese). In the North, ‘Ruou nep bac’ (northern glutinous rice wine) and ‘Ruou nep cam’ (black glutinous rice wine) may be considered as a pudding or a drink. ‘Ruou can’ (fermented glutinous rice wine mixed with herbs) is found predominant in the Central Highlands where ethnic minorities drink it from ceramic jugs using large straws. ‘Ruou de’ which is more common in the Mekong Delta is made of either glutinous or non-glutinous rice.
Fruit Smoothies
Vietnam is exactly a paradise of tropical fruits. What can you find here? From mango, jackfruit, durian, pomelo, guava, pineapple, to guava, watermelon, there are fruits for everyone’s taste. You can eat fresh fruit in its natural state while adding some shrimp salt, try Vietnamese fruit cocktail or drink fruit smoothies.
If you are on a street food walking tour, make it better with fruit smoothies. The local vendor will slice the fruit once the drink has been ordered to ensure that everything is in its fresh state. You can order just one type of fruit or combine different fruits of your favorites. Anyway, fruit smoothies will be a good way to combat the extreme heat and boost your health as well.
Beer
Mot! Hai! Ba! Dzo! (One! Two! Three! Drink!), can you recognize the shouts as you pass by Ta Hien Street in Hanoi or Bui Vien Street in Ho Chi Minh City? Beer in Vietnam is not solely associated with parties, it is a social drink to start a conversation with someone. The Vietnamese prefer to drink beer in mugs, adding some ice cubes. Don’t worry as the ice doesn’t affect the taste of the beer as much as you may think, it’s just for the better due to the scorching heat in Vietnam.
Drinking beer in Vietnam is never true without essential drinking snacks. Peanuts and crispy rice paper are the most common things to eat and easy to be found. You can always try some other dishes to satisfy your hunger, frog legs, chicken wings, snails, baluts, to name just a few. The alcohol may somehow make it easier to consume these awkward foods.
Canned beer in Vietnam is more popular than bottled beer. Beer 333 and Bia Hanoi are extremely favored by locals in Saigon and Hanoi accordingly. If you want to experience the Vietnamese style of drinking beer, feel free to grab a stool and enjoy Bia hoi (draft beer) on sidewalks. For a more sophisticated version, opt for craft beer served in bars and pubs. It’s all about your taste and your mood!
For any trip you are about to make, you should always remember to stay hydrated during the journey. Vietnamese drinks and beverages will cool you down and get you to understand more about Vietnamese cultural thread. Can’t decide if you want coffee or tea? Just treat yourself to the best of both!
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Trinh Tran written for Maika Tours
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