Coffee from Around the World

It was here in Vietnam when we realized that the important ritual of drinking coffee is not just something we do in the US. To the locals here, they have a meticulous process to make the perfect cup of joe depending on what you order.

Gaffe Sua Da- Ice Coffee with Milk
We ordered our first round in Ho Chi Min via hand motions, and attempting to pronounce the word "gafee" the way the guide book explained. The lady behind her stand said something and we nodded yes, as if we knew what she said, hoping we would end up with a delicious cup of strong coffee. Two tall tumblers were placed in front of us with an aluminum filter of some sort resting on top, and what looked like a thick milky substance at the bottom of the glass. Slowly we watched drip by drip of our coffee work its way to the bottom of the tumbler, wondering when we were ever going to drink this coffee. Suddenly two more glasses were put in front of us, both filled with ice and a tall spoon. We look at each other, then at the lady serving us, she motioned for us to stir the maybe one inch of coffee that ended up in the bottom of our glass, and the thick milky substance together. We do as told for about a minute to ensure everything is mixed well, she then gestureed again for us to pour it over the ice, which now has a bit of water at the bottom as well. Again, we do as told, and mix again. Finally its time to try. I take a small sip from the blue straw that was given to me and am immediately punched with a jolt of caffeine mixed with sweet condensed milk. A Vietnamese favorite that soon became an addiction for us - and a new obsession to try coffee from around the world.

Egg Coffee
About a week later in Hanoi we did a little more research on coffee in Vietnam and discovered the egg coffee. A magnificant concoction of egg yolks, sugar, espresso and who knows what else. We order two cups at the first cafe we could find who served it and anxiously wait nearly 10 minutes while the owner whips up our drink. We give it a small stir and taste the creamy top layer that is sweet mixed with the slight taste of espresso, something that I have been craving for dessert ever since. The small cup is just the right balance between sweet dessert-like layer on top and the delicious shot of espresso on the bottom, that I saver every sip whilst sitting on small blue plastic stools and people watch.

Looking back over our travels there has been so many different kinds of coffee that we have enjoyed. I'm not talking about beans from around the world, but the style in while locals enjoy their coffee. For instance, in the US, when I think of coffee, I think drip coffee in a small mug that is continually filled up while I enjoy breakfast at a diner. I also think of a delicious latte with maybe a bit of sugar in it. Yes, there are endless choices of gourmet coffee, but I would stand to guess that filtered coffee is the number one consumed style of coffee in the US. Some like it with cream and sugar, others like it black.

As we continue our travels, I am anxious to see how the rest of the world takes their coffee.

When traveling through Indonesia there are also a few common styles of coffee that locals gulp down. Bali koppe, bla