Imagine sipping a perfect blend of sweet, creamy, and surprisingly salty flavors in a cup of coffee. This is not a culinary dream but a trending beverage that has captured the hearts of coffee enthusiasts worldwide. The unique concoction, known as salt coffee or ca phe muoi, has its roots in a small, unpretentious café in Vietnam's historic city of Hue, where it was first brewed in 2010.

The Birthplace of Salt Coffee

The creative minds behind this now-celebrated drink are Ho Thi Thanh Huong and Tran Nguyen Huu Phong, co-owners of the Ca Phe Muoi coffee shop. They explain, "We created salt coffee...to soften the bitterness of the coffee and balance the sweetness of the condensed milk." The name itself is a giveaway of the ingredients—"ca phe" for coffee and "muoi" for salt in Vietnamese.

A Flavorful Twist to a Traditional Drink

The concept was a hit, turning curious locals and tourists into regulars. "Hue people had a habit of drinking black coffee with sugar or condensed milk, so salty coffee was a strange drink," the co-owners reminisce. However, their first customers were willing to experiment, and their feedback helped perfect the flavors.

From Hue to the Global Stage

Fast forward to today, and salt coffee is not just a specialty drink of historic Hue; it's a trend sweeping across Vietnam. Even Starbucks Vietnam has joined the bandwagon, launching their version of ca phe muoi in May this year.

The global coffee community has taken notice, with countries like Turkey, Hungary, and Siberia having their own ancient traditions of salted coffee. Vietnam, known for its robusta beans, is the world's second-largest exporter of coffee, with exports reaching $2.9 billion in the first five months of this year alone.

A Flavor Explosion in Every Sip

The secret to salt coffee's allure lies in its balance of flavors. The sweetened milk and cream tame the coffee's bitterness, while a pinch of salt intensifies the sweetness, similar to the effect in salted caramel.

A Testament to Vietnam's Coffee Culture

Vietnam's love affair with coffee began in the 1850s with French colonists and has since blossomed into a vibrant coffee culture. From humble street-side stalls to modern cafes, coffee is a way of life in Vietnam.

The country boasts a variety of unique coffee drinks that challenge traditional palates, such as egg coffee (ca phe trung) with its egg yolk and condensed milk topping, and coconut coffee (ca phe cot dua), a tropical twist on the classic brew.

The Global Appeal of Salt Coffee

The global market research agency Mintel reports that Asian-inspired coffee drinks, like Vietnamese coffee, are gaining popularity outside Asia. In the US, café chains and independent cafes are expanding their offerings to include salt coffee, catering to a new generation of coffee drinkers.

A Legacy of Flavor in Hue

Back in Hue, the Ca Phe Muoi café has become a destination for coffee lovers, with the majority of patrons ordering the salt coffee. The founders express their pride, "We feel joy because we made a drink that is loved by many people and it is even considered a Hue specialty."

As the world continues to explore and embrace diverse flavors, salt coffee stands as a testament to the power of innovation in age-old traditions and the universal appeal of a perfect cup of coffee.