I love the smell of Vietnamese coffee.

I’m actually not very fond of iced Vietnamese coffee, with all the condensed milk. I find it overwhelming, and I can’t sleep afterwards! But Vietnamese coffee made in a coffee press or a coffee maker, taken black with brown sugar, oh that’s just lovely.

One Christmas, my godmother gave us Vietnamese coffee, complete with that little metal cup you use. On a whim, I tried it in the coffee maker, and oh it was so lovely.

Despite all my EQ and rationing though, it ran out eventually. Oh, I was so sad.

So I tried to fake it!

Local coffee will do, made strong, in a coffee maker or coffee press.

This was the only butter we had at home.

It has to be brown sugar, so you get that caramelly taste. White sugar won’t cut it.

Here’s the most complicated procedure for fake Vietnamese coffee you’ll ever find:

1. Make your strong coffee.
2. Put butter in mug.
3. Add sugar.
4. Pour piping hot coffee.
5. Stir.
6. Maybe wait a few minutes so you don’t burn your tongue.
7. Enjoy!

Everything to taste, of course. It’s no Trung Nguyen, but it’ll do in a pinch!