“Fish sauce coffee” has recently become a hot topic on social media.
On October 25, Trần Thị Hồng Loan, Director of Nam Phuong Tourism and Trade Promotion Co., Ltd., which co-organized the first Ho Chi Minh City Fish Sauce Festival, told Người Lao Động newspaper that ever since the paper featured the drink, many visitors at the festival have wanted to try it.
Originally, the fish sauce coffee demonstration was scheduled to last only 30 minutes on opening day (October 23). But the organizers decided to extend it to the entire day of Saturday, October 26, at the entrance of the festival on Lê Lợi Walking Street, District 1, because it’s the weekend and expected to draw more visitors—especially those interested in traditional fish sauce. Guests can sample fish sauce coffee black or with milk, served hot or iced.
“When the newspaper published the story, the drink drew incredible attention. I, as the creator of the recipe, received countless calls from café owners nationwide asking for the formula. I’m not hiding it,” Loan said, “but I want them to visit in person so I can guide them directly for the best results.”
Loan added that she does not run a coffee shop and has no plans to open a fish sauce coffee café due to her busy schedule. Instead, she will share the recipe and traditional preparation method free of charge.
“Coffee and fish sauce are both national treasures of Vietnam,” she explained. “I really want everyone to help preserve and promote Vietnamese cuisine.”
Loan said that at the festival, culinary artisan Hồ Đắc Thiếu Anh first told her about this unique drink, but she herself had to experiment many times before perfecting the recipe.
As for ingredients, Loan emphasized that it must be pure fish sauce from Central Vietnam and high-quality Vietnamese coffee from reputable brands.
The drink has stirred a lively debate online. Many people are curious about its flavor and some even jokingly suggest more exotic variants such as “fermented anchovy fish sauce coffee” or “shrimp paste coffee.”
However, some netizens insist fish sauce coffee is not entirely new, noting that certain tourist spots in Central Vietnam have sold similar drinks before. In fact, some coffee roasters are said to have long used a touch of fish sauce in their roasting process to enhance the aroma of their beans.