Savoring the Sips
Sweet readers,
My apologies for the delay! It's my goal to get a post out every two weeks, but writer's block had me in a bind and was making this a difficult piece to finish. It was so challenging for me to write because it's about something that means a lot to me, something I love, and something I was recently both moved and creatively inspired by. My appreciation and fondness for it deepened, and my passion grew. That, my friends, is coffee. When writing about coffee, there are so many ways in which I could ramble on for pages about it. It took me some time to find my way to the heart of this story. I hope you savor it like a memory of a beloved favorite beverage.
MFK Fisher, the legendary food writer, once started an essay with the story of the worst cup of coffee she could remember. It must have been impressively awful because, after much searching through my own mental memory album of coffee, the memory of the worst cups quickly faded away. Then, I remembered the summer of 2020. I was camping with my closest friend, and she had gotten her hands on a Vietnamese coffee concentrate mix. All that was needed was to add sweetened condensed milk to make our own Vietnamese coffee. The result was incredibly rich and densely sweet. It wasn't so much about the taste that made it memorably bad, but rather how the absurd amount of sweetened condensed milk wreaked havoc on my digestive system, like Miley on her wrecking ball. If I had to choose the worst cup of coffee, I'm sorry to say it's that one, simply because of its unforgettable aftermath.
Good coffee, however, that's what sticks with you. My favorite cups of coffee strike a balance between taste and setting, forming distinct memories. Until Vietnam, my favorite cups of coffee were often enjoyed outside in the crisp morning air, with my hands and face cupped around the hot, strong mug of coffee for warmth and sweetened with a splash of Irish cream. These were moments of simultaneously savoring the coffee and the natural splendors of nature. While in Vietnam, my appreciation for coffee and my definition of the most memorable cups of coffee blossomed.
Trying to describe how vast and deep the coffee culture is in Vietnam is like trying to describe the ocean to someone who's never even heard of an ocean. It's simply too large, too diverse, deeply rooted in its history, yet wildly imaginative and innovative, to explain in one essay without endless rambling. The best I can do for now is this: Vietnam is a coffee lover's paradise. People drink coffee at all times of the day and in various ways. Yes, there are signature must-have-while-in-Vietnam drinks like egg coffee, coconut coffee, or coffee made from different types of animal poop. And yes, there are cafes everywhere, all very different in terms of types, crowds, and the variety of experiences and atmospheres they offer. However, Epic Coffee in District 3 of Ho Chi Minh City is just slightly different from all the rest. They elevate their coffee drinks beyond the tourist standard and into an imaginative realm of flavor and creativity. Their baristas are more like mixologists, using coffee as an ingredient to craft beverages that surpass more traditional coffee drinks, all in an unassuming, clean, comfortable, modern, and quiet atmosphere.
Just past a busy corner pho spot with bags of garbage overtaking the corner, Epic Coffee is tucked under a green canopy of botanicals. Inside, it boasts an open and airy atmosphere. Neat wooden tables and booths fill the first floor, and upon gazing up, there is a lofted second level around the perimeter with additional seating. It offers all the accommodations that remote workers, students, and creators need while also providing space for friends to gather and for people to enjoy some time to themselves.
The name of my drink regrettably escaped me, but I was stunned upon the first sip. The delicious, crisp, and slightly sweet flavor of the drink snapped me into focus and pulled me into the present moment with a single sip. It was an iced drink – a double shot of espresso combined with sparkling water, garnished with a cinnamon stick, cloves, and smoked star anise, and topped with apple slices. There may have been a tincture of additional flavor infusions, but the combination was pure genius. It was an espresso-apple spice mocktail. At first thought, coffee and apple might not sound like they could work, but the common thread of autumnal spices that complement both coffee and apple flavors brings everything together in a refreshing and crisp drink that I still dream about.
The addition of the apple slice garnish was delightful for several reasons. Dipping the apple slices in the coffee was playful and fun, reminiscent of after-school apple snacks but for adults. It felt like a bonus treat to complement my coffee drink, a petite and refreshing bite.
Additionally, apples are a very old fruit. Some heirloom apple seeds date back thousands of years, some might even say biblically old. To create something new and surprising with an ingredient as ancient as time is a brave task. The baristas at Epic used apples and coffee to harmonize in an original and beautiful way. They also clearly care about the quality of what they make. My barista asked me on my way out what I thought of the drink and if the quality was acceptable. 'Wonderful!' I beamed back at him and added with a bow, 'Perfectly made.'
Why is coffee not like this in America? Perhaps we are too addicted to coffee as a commodity, using it merely as an energy source to power through our exhausting, capitalism-driven days, preventing us from appreciating its beauty, delicacy, and versatility. Maybe our addiction to coffee has diminished its standard of quality and drive of creativity. While I am aware of the occasional coffee roasters and cafes that tout the quality and integrity of the bean, I have yet to encounter the enthusiasm or dedication to coffee as an ingredient that contributes to a greater vision, as I experienced in Vietnam.
During my time in Vietnam, I enjoyed many different types of coffee, each offering unique and memorable experiences. Below are a few of my most unforgettable drinks. I invite all of you to reflect on your most memorable drinks, both the good and the bad. Can they be recreated, or do they remain as sweet as fleeting memories?
