What is there to drink...

I spoke about alcoholic beverages in Vietnam, but not the non-alcoholic drinks. Which I think are more interesting and with a greater variety.

Sinh To: One of my earliest posts is about sinh to, I will not go further about this, but I will mention you can get this at a coffee house or on the street. Many flavors of fruit and vegetables are available. But making it at home is better than on the street. But it is best on a hot night after a good meal. The best flavor is a balance of sweet, sour, creamy, cold, and smooth.

Nuoc Ep: It is a fancy term for juice. Most of the time it is the same flavors as sinh to, but not as sweet, rich, or cold.

Nuoc Mia: Sugarcane juice, this is addictive, especially with a small bit of pineapple or lime to squeeze with it, making it slightly sour. It should always be fresh, for it ferments/goes off quite quickly. So when you order a glass of sugarcane juice you will watch the vendor squeeze the juice out of the sugarcane right in front of you. An absolute must at least twice when you visit Vietnam.

Rau Ma: Pennywort drink. Very healthy, but....well to me it tastes like a drink of green beans. I like eating them, but not drinking. The health benefits are great though.

Coffee: Vietnamese coffee is known to be one of the best in the world (much to the chagrin of the Brazillians). The filter method of Vietnamese coffee leaves it thick and strong in flavor, one shot makes a shot of cappucino pale in comparison. To make it weaker to drink, many Vietnamese will pour it over ice in a large mug. To add flavor and sweetness, the coffee will be mixed with condensed milk (most common), yoghurt, or Baileys. I warn you that one mug is enough, two will more than likely upset your stomach.

Tea: Vietnamese tea borrows many flavors from China. But modern style bubble tea houses that was made popular in Taiwan. One of the more traditional Vietnamese teas is artichoke tea, where all artichokes come from a mountainous area famous for fruits, vegetables, flowers, and romance (Da Lat). The traditional ceremony is less structured or formal as the Chinese or Japanese tea ritual, the only importance is the elders are served first. How to drink it and when is not so important. But tea is seen as a simple luxury for everybody. One of the experiences I was not familiar with was called fresh tea, where the tea is made from fresh tea leaves, not dried. It is a bit more complicated to make and water temperatures and steeping is a little more difficult to minimize the bitter flavor.

Yoghurt: The most common form of a yoghurt drink is yoghurt mixed with ice, sugar, and fruit. The melting ice thins out the yoghurt and the fruit adds a nice flavor (usually strawberries).

Sua Bap: Corn milk, I don't know how it is made and we asked and they don't reveal their secrets. It is sold in reused water bottles, it looks like a yellowish milk. But when you drink it tastes...well...like sweet corn. Worth a try if you like corn.

Soy milk: It is much better than what you had from the health food store. They add sugar and flavor to make it edible. So try it again, I personally like it mixed with black sesame seed for a great flavor. In the north and in the mountains, to warm up, they serve it hot. But remember to get it fresh.

Coconut juice: This is common in Vietnam and people on bikes or carts will wander the streets and sell fresh young coconuts. Some vendors will have them in ice to make the juice cold, but that is rare. It is best to get a few, store in ice or in the fridge and have a nice treat later. I won't mention coconut milk as a drink, because it is meant to make and serve with desserts.

Bird's Nest Drink: This is a drink made from the nest of a swallow. It is only served in a can and there are a few companies that make it. It is believed to be very healthy, but it's flavor or the treatment of swallows, may cause many not to drink this drink.


I hope this helps, going to Vietnam means much more than seeing sights and eat some food, but having a good drink while wandering around.