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Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
May 11, 2023
By Jinnie Lee
Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam is known as a bustling, colorful, and unique city with many valuable cultural and historical relics. Besides, Hanoi is also the culinary hub of Vietnam with a variety of food, from unique local dishes to sumptuous 5-star meals. Along with irresistible food, Hanoi luckily possesses a variety of tasty drinks that satisfy even the difficult drinkers. However, not many people know the most popular drinks in Hanoi exactly. Here are our top picks for the top 7 Hanoi’s famous drinks that tourists must try in your trip to Vietnam and the period in Hanoi.
As a country located in the tropical monsoon climate, many regions of Vietnam possess fertile basalt red soil and favorable weather for growing coffee. So, it is not surprising that currently, Vietnam has become the second-largest coffee exporter in the world. Walking in the streets throughout Hanoi,visitors will quickly find out how local people love coffee, which is one of the most popular drinks in Hanoi. Many Hanoi people sit on low plastic stools on the sidewalk, take a sip of coffee and talk with friends. It is the perfect mix of bitter and sweet flavors with the main ingredients being water, ice, condensed milk, dark roast coffee. Coming to Hanoi, you can try to experience a typical morning in Hanoi where you have a light breakfast with a cup of coffee then enjoy the bustling Hanoi's life but not lose its unique quaintness.
Vietnamese iced coffee
Egg coffee is the pride of Hanoi as well as the most popular drinks in Hanoi that got high recommendations because this is their unique coffee in the world. This strange kind of coffee is made by the thick, strong and dark Vietnamese brewed coffee topped with a sweet, light and airy foam of egg yolk and condensed milk. To be honest, it’s pretty hard to get a coherent image of those two ingredients in a cup together. The ready-to-drink egg coffee features a lavish appearance and a liquid-tiramisu-like taste, offering a thick, rich, and real coffee flavor that any tourist should try. Created by the owner of Café Giang, but now there are numerous coffee shops that serve it so you can experience the must-try drinks in Hanoi around the city.
Egg coffee is made of egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk, and robusta coffee
Draft beer (bia hơi) refers to the refreshingly light, chilled, straw-coloured draught beer, as well as the no-frills neighborhood drinking spots where you’ll find yourself throwing them back. The big thing to know about it is that unlike most beers you probably drink, which can take up to a month to brew, draft beer is brewed fresh every single day. A light, golden lager that’s served ice cold with a bit of foam on top, it’s only about 3% alcohol, which makes it easy to drink. It has become one of the most popular drinks in Hanoi where it’s found at almost every street corner. Come to Vietnam, try becoming a real Vietnamese, by squatting on plastic chairs, and drinking a few cups of beer with ice on the sidewalk. Because this activity is not available in all countries.
Bia Hoi - Vietnamese street beer
Mentioning lemon tea, some tourists will think of glasses of lemonade made from water, lemon juice, and tons of sugar, which is overly sweet. Iced tea in Vietnam, however, is more diluted and bitter, but not in a bad way. Perhaps sidewalk iced tea is one of the most popular drinks in Hanoi, in every corner of city from main streets to narrows lanes, you will also see this characteristic cup of lemon iced-tea. The tea spot is where we see a group of locals sitting on little plastic stools sipping on a small glass of tea, where the seller also sells sunflower seeds, peanut candies, chewing-gum, and other bottled drinks. Because of the convenience, cheap, and fun customers of sidewalk iced teas are diverse. So just join one of them when you can, and truly experience the simple but charming Hanoi’s daily life.
Sidewalk Iced Tea
There's no doubt about Pho’s popularity - a Vietnamese noodle soup considered a national cuisine, ranked 34th in the list of 100 most popular dishes in the world. However, when you hear the drink “Pho” cocktail, it might sound a little bit odd. “Pho” Cocktail was invented by mixologist Pham Tien Tiep who was awarded “Best Bartender in Vietnam” and won the Diageo World Class Cocktail Competition 2012. The beef noodle soup is made up of herbs (cardamon, cinnamon, star anise) flavored marrow-rich beef stock, rice noodle, and thinly sliced beef. In the end, fresh limes and chili sauce will complete the full taste and flavor of this type of cocktail. Without the real Pho stock, beef or noodles, the “Pho” cocktail features a generous splash of gin and triple sec with the spices and herbs that’s made Pho one of the most popular drinks in Hanoi as well as a world-famous dish. Sided with cinnamon, star anise, fresh chili, and lime wedges, pho cocktail is truly an incredible combination of alluring flavors that you must try yourself – right here in Hanoi where it’s created.
Pho cocktail - a delicious and weird beverage
Summer is also the time when Hanoi has the dracontomelon season, even when the dracontomelon season "usurps the crown" in the list of the most popular drinks in Hanoi according to Hanoi people. With so many dracontomelon trees grown along the green tree-line boulevards in the city’s French Quarter, Hanoi is therefore a cradle of the dracontomelon fruit – which is widely used in local cuisine as a souring agent. Only harvested during June and July – the hottest months of the year, dracontomelon is carefully selected, filtered with large fruit, has a mild sour taste, soaked with sugar and a little ginger for many months, even years to produce sweet and sour. Dracontomelon juice will be diluted to the perfect ratio, adding a little ice, or a little desiccated coconut will give a cup of dracontomelon juice with a very sweet and sour taste. It makes a perfect concoction to quench your thirst.
Dracotonmelons or “sau” can only be collected in the summer
Vietnamese speakers use the term "sweet soup" to describe any traditional sweet drink, dessert soup, or pudding. It is made of several ingredients mixed together and served in a large glass. In Hanoi, you will find sweet soup vendors on the streets. Delight in cold sweet soup as an afternoon snack when hungry or enjoy in the cooler evenings along with refreshment of crushed ice added to this dessert in the hot months.Vietnamese tea is not only one of the most popular drinks in Hanoi, but also ranks first among Vietnamese people's favorite dishes.
A traditional Vietnamese dessert
Through the useful information above, I hope you’ve found out what to drink when you have a visit to Hanoi. Don't miss the chance to try the most popular drinks in Hanoi and other specialties during your Hanoi full-day tours.
