Cafe Sua Da (Vietnamese Coffee)

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a person who abhors a soft consistency in my desserts.  My stance on the matter is that I like having teeth, therefore I like to chew my food.  Pudding and yogurt and custard and the like are just not for me - not without an added granola crunch or creme brulee hardened top.  As a kid, I must have been the only one of my kind to thumb my nose up at applesauce.   So, with that in mind, this month's challenge of picking a Vietnamese dessert was particularly difficult for me. 

A land that favors che (sweet puddings), Vietnam's idea of dessert differs greatly from our western sense of the word.  With typical ingredients including sticky rice, mung beans, coconut, taro and tapioca, it became evident early on that my "beginner" palate just wasn't up for the challenge of starting in such a frighteningly different place.  Had these items been part of a savory menu, I wouldn't have missed the chance to turn them into a meal.  But, dessert?!  Eh.  Not so much.  Not just yet.  

So, I chickened out and picked something that my American mind could better comprehend.  Coffee.  Not that I drink it - or anything caffeinated, for that matter.  But still...it's a more familiar oddity in my life.  So, I went forward with that.  My husband is really the coffee master in our house.  He drinks it regularly and makes it (so I'm told) in a truly special way.  For years, he has tried to duplicate the secret recipe of Thai Iced Coffee that he would get at a favorite restaurant of ours.  In looking at the way he has made their version versus the recipe I found for Vietnamese coffee, I can't say that there is a vast difference in the approach or the ingredients.  Just a name change.  Just as good.  And, though I scoff at Starbucks and snear at Folgers, I must admit that I always sneak a sip of the iced coffee my husband makes...no matter if it is Thai or Vietnamese.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dark French road coffee, medium grind
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 3 cups boiling water
• 4 cups ice

Instructions:

1. Divide the coffee grounds evenly among 4 individual filters.  Place the inner screen on the coffee but do not pack it down.  Place 2 heaping tablespoons condensed milk in each of the 4 coffee cups.  Set the individual filters on top.  Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons boiling water into each filter and let the grounds expand for 2 minutes.
2. Fill the filter with boiling water all the way to the rim once.  The water should slowly drip through the filter, about 3 to 4 drops at a time. (If it drips faster than that, the ground are too large.)  The brewing should take 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Fill 4 tall glasses with ice.  Stir the coffee well so the condensed milk is dissolved and blended.  Pour over the ice and serve with a tall spoon.

(The original recipe came from "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" by Mai Pham.)