How They Drink Coffee in Vietnam

As a change from a latte or cappuccino, how about trying your coffee with egg, butter and cheese! This is how coffee is served in the famous Giang Cafe in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi.

Hidden down a small alley in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, the cafe’s menu lists a selection of beverages, but the tourists and locals who have hunted it out are all there for the cà phê trúng, or egg coffee.

Born of Necessity

The unusual drink, available in both hot and cold versions, was invented in 1946 by the father of the cafe’s current owner, Nguyen Van Dao. He was working in the Sofitel Metropole hotel in the city, but milk was scarce in Vietnam at the time, so he used whisked egg yolk as a substitute, and egg coffee was born.

Other cafes in Hanoi have tried to imitate the secret recipe, which also contains butter, cheese and condensed milk as well as coffee powder, but Giang Café’s authentic and closely guarded recipe is still the most popular – and the cafe is always busy.

What Does It Taste Like?

The hot version, served with the cup sitting in a bowl of hot water to help keep it warm, is thick, like custard, and may need to be eaten with a spoon rather than drunk. Very sweet, the coffee is at the bottom of the cup, while the whisked egg mixture, reportedly tasting of vanilla, sits on top. The cold version, served with lots of ice, is again very sweet and said to taste rather like coffee ice cream, probably not unlike the frappes we enjoy on hot summer days.

Recipes for this unusual coffee can be found online, but for the truly authentic version, you will have to take a trip to Vietnam.

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog

Why Coffee Shops Are Increasing in Popularity on British High Streets

Today, more and more people are choosing to meet for a nice cup of coffee rather than a pint of beer or glass of wine. Furthermore, recent figures are indicated that while coffee shops are on the increase across the country, the number of bars, nightclubs and pubs on the British high street has fallen.

Increase in Coffee Shops

However, despite the number of coffee shops, cafes and fast food restaurants increasing by around 6,000 across Scotland, Wales and England between 2011 and 2016, there are still far more pubs in British town centres than coffee shops.

The figures were collated by the Local Data Company and did not include Northern Ireland. They were collected by individuals who walked up and down high streets around mainland UK. These figures showed the biggest increase in leisure businesses in areas such as Wales, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, and the Humber. This contrasted with Greater London where there was a 0.3 per cent decrease.

Leisure Businesses
Among the businesses that saw the biggest increases were lounge bars, cake makers, juice bars and coffee shops. There were falls, however, in the number of snooker halls, comedy clubs, bingo halls and internet cafes.

The rise in the number of coffee shops on the high street has a lot to do with American shows such as Seinfeld and Friends, according to Professor Jonathan Morris of the University of Hertfordshire. Professor Morris is a historian who has studied the popularity of the coffee shop. He believes that the culture of coffee shops in the UK began during the nineties when the aforementioned shows were popular.

He said, “People socialise during the day or after work rather than evenings now. Places like snooker and bingo halls take a bigger chunk of time while meeting for coffee doesn’t take long.To halt the decline, pubs needs to develop their daytime offer.”

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog

Tips for Buying a Coffee Machine

There is no doubting the fact that coffee shops have risen in popularity in recent years. Hot coffee-based drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos, espressos and mochas are available from various coffee shops, but they don’t come cheap. This is one of the reasons many people are now opting to invest in their own coffee machine so that they can enjoy their favourite beverage without leaving the house. But what should you be looking for in a coffee machine? Below are a few tips.

1. It is important to think about the type of coffee you enjoy before investing in a machine. For example, if you like to have your coffee without milk, there is no point in spending a small fortune on a machine that makes fancy drinks such as cappuccinos. A drip coffee maker may be the best choice for you.

2. If you want something that is quick and convenient, you may want to consider a pod coffee maker. With this device, sealed pods are placed in the machine through which boiling water passes. This type of coffee maker requires little effort, and many different kinds of pod can be purchased, depending on the kind of coffee you enjoy.

3. If you want a coffee similar to those that can be purchased in your local coffee shop, then look for an espresso/cappuccino maker that comes with a milk frother. This will allow you to make lattes, mochas and cappuccinos to your heart’s content.

4. Set a budget that you want to stick to because coffee machines do vary dramatically in price. Think about the features you want from your machine and then look for one that meets your budget. Reviews can be a great way to get an idea of what others think.

Once you have found a coffee machine that will suit your needs and preferences, you will need to invest in some good quality coffee. This is where Good Cup Coffee Company can help. We have a range of delicious blends for you to choose from, and all at competitive prices. Check out our selection today.

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog