Behind Dominique Ansel’s Viral Iced Vietnamese Espresso Latte

I’m explicit about drinks — wine temperature, lemon vs. lime in my Food regimen Coke, a Gimlet on ice — however espresso is one other story.

I not often drink espresso at house, seldom buy it, and don’t care to discern the trivialities between roasts and brewing strategies. So, once I encounter a espresso drink that makes me cease and take discover, it must be one thing particular. 

On a latest Sunday afternoon, I visited Papa d’Amour, Dominique Ansel’s latest bakery that’s impressed by Asia’s numerous bread cultures. It has all of the terrific pastries you’d count on, from a young bun filled with rooster curry to a steamed bao croissant, and a banana bread that toes the road between snack and dessert. 

What I’ll be going again for, although, wasn’t a pastry in any respect, however the café’s Iced Vietnamese Espresso Latte that advertises a “condensed milk chilly foam.” It’s a drink that’s really modified the best way I’ll take into consideration espresso for good.

The tactic behind the Iced Vietnamese Espresso Latte

The success of Ansel’s drink has to do with its simplicity and distinctive mixture of the appropriate elements with the appropriate method.

“It’s made with a darker roast espresso that we brew and filter by a standard Vietnamese phin,” says Ansel. A Vietnamese espresso phin is a standard steel drip filter that yields a single serving of sturdy, concentrated espresso that’s usually served over sweetened condensed milk. It’s the cornerstone of cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced espresso) and cà phê đen (black espresso). 

As soon as brewed, the espresso is poured over ice with the client’s alternative of milk (I went with entire milk for an ultra-creamy drink) and a bit of easy syrup for sweetness. Then comes the good things: the condensed milk chilly foam. 

“It’s creamy and velvety, with a contact of sweetness,” says Ansel. It’s made by heating entire milk with granulated sugar and a little bit of gelatin to make sure a creamy texture. The entire milk is then blended with cream, condensed milk, and vanilla bean; the combination is then added to a whipped cream siphon, which makes use of pressurized fuel to aerate and dispense the tender chilly foam onto the highest of every drink.

“We did not need the sugar stage to be an excessive amount of, or add simply straight condensed milk in, so we determined to make a whipped cream foam made with cream, condensed milk and a little bit of vanilla to offer it some added texture that is not too candy,” says Ansel. 

How condensed milk chilly foam differs from common chilly foam

Whereas scorching lattes or cappuccinos are topped with steamed milk foam, iced drinks don’t get the identical luxurious. That’s, till chilly foam was popularized. Pioneered by Starbucks since 2018, the espresso topping has grow to be ubiquitous at main espresso chains and even expanded into merchandise on the grocery retailer. 

Akin to steamed milk foam, chilly foam is made by aerating or whipping dairy merchandise to yield a wealthy consistency. The feel might be much like a tender whipped cream and provides a silky high quality to iced drinks that typically lack richness. Chilly foam is often constructed from milk (starting from nonfat to 2% and even cream) and a little bit of sugar. Ansel’s use of condensed milk, which brings an added richness of texture and distinctive candy taste, is impressed.

What’s the most effective espresso to make use of for an Iced Vietnamese Espresso Latte? 

Vietnam’s espresso tradition is exclusive and historic. Based on the founding father of Nguyen Espresso Provide, Sahra Nguyen, it’s a espresso tradition constructed round slower moments and neighborhood. 

“Somewhat than treating espresso as a sidekick to breakfast or a grab-and-go caffeine repair for reinforcing productiveness, you go to a café to sit down with a cup of espresso fitted with a slow-drip phin filter on high,” writes Mari Uyehara, in a 2021 F&W Sport Changer profile on Nguyen. 

Conventional Vietnamese espresso is the proper factor to counter the sweetness of the chilly foam. “We use a darker roast espresso from Stone Avenue Espresso,” says Ansel. “The flavour is aromatic and daring with out being too bitter or tart and works actually properly in a extra concentrated brew on this case.” By way of his specialty latte, Ansel pays tribute to this tradition of savoring espresso drinks and making them into a really particular expertise.