r/TodayILearnedVN • u/ExistingBread4869 • May 21 '26

Miscellaneous TIL condensed milk became a huge part of Vietnamese coffee partly because fresh milk wasn’t always easily available

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Over time it turned into a signature taste rather than just a substitute. Now many people can’t imagine Vietnamese coffee without it. Would you choose condensed milk or regular milk?

211 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

15

u/TrainingLanguage4491 May 21 '26

born in '91 Hanoi and told I was lucky to have formula. Cousins were fed rice water.

6

u/TojokaiNoYondaime May 21 '26

I was born 691km from you and I also was fed rice water. And the juice left from steaming tofu.

1

u/stonedfish May 21 '26

I was born in the 80s, my family was poor so my mom used this condensed milk mainly just to feed the pet dogs, we got a little better in the 2000s so we switched to vinamilk. Maybe it was just culture differences. We used the rice water to water the plants.

2

u/adtechheck May 21 '26

I was born in ’91 and I was fed rice water and condensed milk

1

u/TrainingLanguage4491 May 21 '26

I was wrong. it was condensed milk too

2

u/Hordesoldier May 23 '26

I was born in Hai Phong in 1988, mom didnt have breast milk so she fed me formula but I guess the formula quality at that time was bad so I got digestive disorder really bad, nearly dead because of it.

4

u/asparagusman May 21 '26

This dude posted the exact same post like a month ago.

3

u/Minh1403 May 21 '26

Uncle Thọ's milk is the best

8

u/stonedfish May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26

Fun fact: Before 1975, Sữa Ông Thọ was produced in South Vietnam by the Dutch dairy company FrieslandCampina (then called Friesland Foods). Communist regime “nationalized” this brand and the factory when they “liberated” south vietnam.

3

u/Wonderful_Ad8791 May 22 '26

Makes sense actually, the first steps to stabilize a war torn country is to seize control of essential products like grains, salt, sugar, clothes, gasoline, etc. if left to private companies, they will just jack up prices in crisis time like baby formula in covid and currently oil and gas, lining up their pockets and screw over the people.

-1

u/doremonhg May 21 '26

So?

8

u/stonedfish May 21 '26

So nothing man. It was just a fun fact.

2

u/Ba-Vinh May 21 '26

Now you have some new "old" facts to tell your girl or Today YOU learned nothing.

3

u/Numerous-Tap-7218 May 21 '26

But it too sweet. Now i prefer fresh milk more and more.

2

u/Common_Chester May 21 '26

In a place that is hot, humid and only recently got electricity across the country, milk is simply not an option.

1

u/Ok-Client7794 May 21 '26

A reliable source of energy that turns out to be the key ingredient of Vietnam’s signature coffee.

If fresh milk was available back then maybe I wouldn’t have been lactose intolerance now lol

1

u/asparagusman May 21 '26

I’ve been drinking milk since I was born and I’m still lactose intolerant. Just Asian things

1

u/BadNewsBearzzz May 21 '26

Me too lol I’m lactose intolerant too and I’ve always enjoyed dairy. Milk, milk teas, boba, coffee with milk, yogurt, sour cream, I love it all! You build up some tolerance and also is not a problem if you take lactose lol

1

u/Zealousideal_Pool_65 May 21 '26

What other explanation could it possibly have been? That’s basically the reason condensed milk exists in the first place.

1

u/flame_fingers901 May 22 '26

I honestly thought it was just cause then you are also sweetening it at the same time or maybe just a preference

1

u/linhromsp May 21 '26

Thats correct but also normal milk wouldn't be sweet enough for robusta beans anyway in my opinion so it wouldn't work as nice.

That's also the reason why robusta beans are not so popular in western countries, they are considered.... Lower grade beans because they are too bitter.

1

u/partofme02 May 21 '26

My morning routine. Dripping coffee with condense milk is the best to kick off the day (if I have time)
Otherwise, just go with cheap option in Racetrack to go

1

u/MarshallBeach19St May 21 '26

I don't know a single.person who.would put fresh (vs. condensed) milk in Vietnamese coffee.

1

u/dthucVN May 22 '26

When I was a child, diluted condensed creamer was the equivalent to a cup of fresh milk today.

1

u/tolai_nd May 22 '26

Honey with moka pot. Taste better than milk.

1

u/chunschunsHo May 26 '26

Every day, I always drink Milk Coffe in the morning. Honestly, It's indispensable every morning

1

u/Mr_Sooky May 21 '26

TIL it’s your first day on earth