or Coffee – One of Life’s Simple Pleasures

One of the 974 I like about travel is sampling food and drink in its country of origin.

I like to experience the difference between the original and the (likely) adapted version I’m having in my own country.

I have just returned from Hoi An, Vietnam. I have been there twice and can by no stretch of the imagination call myself an expert in their food. I am an expert in eating it. The flavours are more intense and varied than what I have experienced of Vietnamese food outside Vietnam. Vietnamese food is one of my many favourites.

What I really enjoy though, is the coffee.

Not just because they make it with condensed milk, though given my sweet tooth, it is undeniably a contributing factor. Also explains one of the reasons I like lemon meringue pie (the other reasons include the tartness of the lemon offset by the copious amounts of sugar in the meringue, so light and fluffy sitting on top of the creamy-tangy filling and the crust of buttery-crushed biscuit which just crumbles in my mouth. Such a great mix of textures and flavours. Now I feel like a cup of tea and a slice. I’ve digressed from the coffee…).

Coffee really is one of life’s simple pleasures (lemon meringue pie doesn’t fall into this category as it takes longer to make. It is one of life’s slightly-more-time-consuming pleasures). Drinking a traditional coffee in the country of origin is an experience in itself. Tracking a Vietnamese one down just after breakfast in Hoi An was a surprising challenge. Many places served American or Italian style, few served Vietnamese.

The area I hunted through may cater predominantly to tourists who, for some reason, may not be quite so interested in this beverage as I am. This is a surprise. They have inadvertently denied themselves of both a taste sensation and a joy to watch. The thick coffee dripping through the various holes to hit the condensed milk at the bottom can be quite mesmerising as various patterns form, the speed of the dripping changes, the smell changes as it mixes with the milk, anticipation mounts to be able to drink it.

Back home, I’m not interested in capsule coffee, chain store coffee or instant coffee, each for various reasons.

I enjoy the ritual of coffee. The grinding of the beans. Spooning it into whatever vessel I’m going to be using to make it. Waiting for the water to boil or drip through or even sit over prior to plunging. The smell, followed shortly afterward (since I don’t want to burn my tongue) the taste.

The whole process is relaxing, absorbing all my focus, leading to a perfect cup which has the added benefit of making me more alert.

As I was walking through the airport to return home, one of my traveling buddies saw the Vietnamese coffee gadget and suggested I purchase it. I hesitated since I already have a grinder, plunger and an espresso. I only tend to have one cup per day. How many coffee gadgets does one person need? She then reminded me of my enjoyment of the ritual and how much I appreciated the coffee itself. Sold.

Finding condensed milk in Tokyo has been a challenge and not just because I struggle with reading the labels. The picture of a cow on a tube is a minor giveaway though initially I thought it may be long-life milk since when I shook it, it sounded quite runny compared to the more viscous versions I’m familiar with.

I’m fortunate that it is summer now since finding condensed milk in winter can apparently be quite difficult. Shaved ice is one of the favourite summer treats, often covered in condensed milk before adding other flavourings or fruit. I may stock up and add a tube to my earthquake evacuation kit too. It could be handy. For energy.

I have now had my first Vietnamese coffee in Tokyo, adjusting the recipe somewhat as the condensed milk is more liquid.

I poured the condensed milk into a glass while the kettle boiled (also a little extra on a spoon so I could test it in advance). Spooned some ground coffee into the stainless steel top, poured in some boiled water to cover the newly placed net, let it sit for 15 seconds before adding more boiled water to fill the body. Dripping through into the glass, the smell hung in the kitchen as I moved my fresh beverage to the lounge where I could continue to watch it drip. Finally finished, I stirred the condensed milk through.

Bliss.

Now to see if I can find the ingredients to make a lemon meringue pie…

* Thanks to Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell for the title to this post. See and listen them singing about coffee addiction on TV in 2013. It’s in two parts. Bit of a departure of my usual style of music…
Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Rondstadt are releasing a Complete Trio Box Set on 9 September