The Story of Bạc xỉu, the Vietnamese Latte

If you’ve ever ordered bạc xỉu đá at a Vietnamese café and thought, “This is basically a latte”, you’re not wrong. Bạc xỉu is Vietnam’s milk-forward coffee: milk comes first, coffee comes second, and the result is soft, comforting, and super sip-able.Many sources l...

Ingredients

This is the recipe for 1 glass of Vietnamese Bac Xiu:

How to make Vietnamese latte (Bạc xỉu đá / bạc xỉu nóng)

Step 1: Pour 20 ml condensed milk into your serving glass.Step 2: Add 20 ml cold whipping cream. This is optional, but it makes the drink thicker and closer to the coffee shop style.Step 3: Pour in 100 ml milk. Mix well with a spoon, or use a milk frother to create a light foam. For iced version, add ice now. For hot version, skip the ice. If you want it truly hot, warm the milk before mixing.Step 4: Brew 30 ml strong coffee. Traditionally, this is done with Vietnamese phin coffee (cà phê phin), but a single espresso shot works really well too. Optional: lightly froth the coffee for a soft foam layer on top.Step 5: Gently pour the coffee over the milk, slowly and ideally right into the center of the glass. You should see three layers: coffee foam on top, coffee in the middle, and milk at the bottom.

How to drink Bac Xiu

You can drink it as-is and enjoy the layers. Sip the coffee first, then let it blend into the sweet milky coffee underneath as you go. Or stir everything together with a spoon for a smooth, balanced Vietnamese latte flavor from the first sip to the last.

Tips for the perfect Vietnamese Bac Xiu

Want your Iced Bac Xiu to stay creamy and layered instead of turning watery, and your hot Bac Xiu to taste smooth instead of overly sweet? These quick tips will help you make a café-style Vietnamese latte every time.Do you like this recipe? Brighten my day by rating the recipe and clicking the “save” button to have this recipe right on your Pinterest board. Also, let’s be friends on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok!

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