We’re not really fans of coffee culture. We love coffee but we like to keep it simple: brew it “black as midnight on a moonless night,” to quote the wonderful 1990s (revived in 2017) TV series Twin Peaks, a show that relished “damn fine coffee.” When we visited a local barista in Lao’s capital Vientiane we didn’t have very high expectations of the drink we were about to be offered. But we ended up being very pleasantly surprised.
Laos Coffee In Five Easy Steps
Step 1: Make sure you don’t plan to sleep for any time within the next 8 hours.
Step 2: Our barista had a basic coffee filter set up. She brewed a very strong brew…
Step 3: Brewed, of course, into a can of condensed milk which is milk plus, plus, plus: thick, smooth, creamy and outrageously sweet. Yes, that is an entire can of sweet, syrupy, gloopy, delicious condensed milk.
Step 4: Don’t forget that it’s a lovely day. The weather is HOT. Why would you want a hot coffee on a hot and humid day? Of course you would actually want your coffee to be cold! Fill a mug with ice.
Step 5: Pour the delicious coffee/condensed milk mixture on top. If you want a sugar rush on top of the caffeine, add a tablespoon or so of sugar. Stir, then serve.
Just in case you aren’t consuming enough calories, why not enjoy some scrummy home-made doughnuts which are a delightful accompaniment to the Lao coffee.
Beats anything by any of the big coffee chains any day of the week. Delish!
But what was really nice about this experience that after making Ultimate Coffee for us our barista settled down to eat her lunch inside her house (just beyond the shop front) with her mum. They offered us some to try – it was frog stew: whole frogs in a spicy sauce with lots of fresh herbs. It was very good indeed. Really.
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