Other than Brazil, no nation produces more coffee than Vietnam. Introduced by French colonists in the 19th century, the country’s coffee crop is now a $3 billion business and accounts for nearly 15 percent of the global market, making Vietnam the java giant of Southeast Asia.
越南是除巴西以外咖啡产量最高的国家。越南咖啡种植由法国殖民者于19世纪引入，如今已成为一项价值30亿美元的产业，占全球市场近15%，使越南成为东南亚的咖啡巨头。

Quality, however, has only recently begun to catch up with quantity, mainly because farmers have begun augmenting Vietnam’s longtime cultivation of cheaper, easy-to-grow robusta beans with a connoisseur’s favorite, arabica.
然而，直到最近，越南咖啡的质量才开始提高，这主要是因为，在越南长期种植的价格较低、易于种植的罗布斯塔咖啡豆之外，该国农民又开始引入行家最爱的阿拉比卡咖啡豆。。

A major beneficiary has been the cafe scene in the country’s largest metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a. Saigon). Thanks to direct crop-to-shop supplies, the retail business of coffee is booming as increasing numbers of indie roasteries and specialty coffeehouses sprout up around the city’s French colonial opera house, amid the megamalls and boutiques of fashionable Dong Khoi Boulevard, and in the shadows of the high-rise towers in District 2.
最大的受益者是越南最大城市胡志明市（即西贡）的咖啡馆。由于“从作物到商店”的直接供应，咖啡零售业务正在蓬勃发展，在这座城市的法国殖民时期歌剧院周围、时尚的东桂大道的大型商场和精品店之间，还有第二区高楼大厦的阴影之下，越来越多独立烘焙店和特色咖啡馆如雨后春笋般出现。

From semi-hidden bohemian hangouts such as RedDoor to stylish chains like Laviet — which has its own coffee farm near Dalat, in the country’s central highlands — the city has a cafe for nearly every coffee acolyte.
从像RedDoor这样半隐蔽的波西米亚聚会场所，到Laviet这样的时尚连锁店——Laviet在越南中部高地的大叻附近拥有自己的咖啡农场——在这个城市，几乎每个咖啡爱好者都有一家自己心爱的咖啡馆。

Café Cheo Leo: Old and bold
Café Cheo Leo：古老而又大胆

Given the exceptional bitterness and caffeine wallop of most robusta beans, it’s little wonder that the Vietnamese have traditionally softened their coffee with a thick dollop of sweetened condensed milk, creating an almost milkshake-like concoction.
大多数罗布斯塔咖啡豆的苦味和咖啡因力道都格外重，无怪乎传统上越南人都要用厚厚的甜炼乳来让这种咖啡的风味更柔和，创造出一种几乎像奶昔一样的调制咖啡。

For your initiation into this national classic, head to this humble hole-in-the-wall, the oldest existing cafe in town, in a low-lying, off-the-radar pocket of District 3 not far from Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, known for its musical instrument shops. Here, the stoic Madame Suong and her two sisters perform the ritual that their family has been practicing since the 1930s.
要想了解这个全民经典款，就去这家不起眼的墙洞小店吧，它是市内现存最古老的咖啡馆，位于第三区一个隐蔽的低洼地带，距离以乐器店闻名的阮善述街不远。在这里，性格坚韧的宋夫人和她的两个姐妹继续着家族20世纪30年代以来未曾改变过的日常运作。

As sentimental Vietnamese pop songs echo off the sky-blue walls, tiles and peeling ceiling, the women work under a single bulb in the small kitchen, filling hand-held cloth nets with a mix of robusta, arabica and culi (also called peaberry) grounds and passing them through boiling pots of water heated by a charcoal fire in a repurposed American oil drum. After a second pass through the water — stored a few days beforehand in vast clay pots to allow impurities to sink to the bottom — the potent brew is then poured into highball glasses and mixed with condensed milk.
伤感的越南流行歌曲在天蓝色的墙壁、瓷砖和斑驳的天花板之间回荡，女工们在小厨房里的一个灯泡下工作，用手持布网盛上罗布斯塔、阿拉比卡和库利（又称公豆）的混合物，然后把它们放进用美国油桶改造的炭火加热的沸水锅中。在第二次过水之后——为了让杂质沉入底部，水是提前几天储存在巨大陶罐里的——将浓烈的咖啡液倒入高脚杯中，与炼乳混合。

If the result (25,000 Vietnamese dong, or about $1) still isn’t sufficiently creamy for your taste, ask for a special embellishment: a dab of French butter.
如果你觉得最后成果（2.5万越南盾，约合1美元）还不够丝滑，可以再点一种特殊的点缀：一点法国黄油。

Lacaph: Coffee college
Lacaph：咖啡学院

Even sweeter concoctions await inside Lacaph, a classy new coffeehouse in District 1, just off Rach Ben Nghe, the slim urban canal that snakes through the city. Decorated with dark wood paneling and track lighting, the cafe serves lemonade (80,000 dong) combined with coffee-blossom honey and a dose of coffee brewed in a traditional Vietnamese phin — a stainless steel cup with an internal metal filter — while the house coconut coffee (80,000 dong) blends cold brew, coconut milk, coconut syrup and coconut ice cream. Less sugary options abound, including espressos, lattes and cascaras (60,000 dong), a tea-like beverage made from the husks of coffee plants and skins of coffee berries.
在第一区新开的优雅咖啡馆Lacaph里，还有更甜的混合饮品在等着你。这家咖啡馆就在蜿蜒穿过城市的狭长运河滨义河边。咖啡馆采用乌木墙板和轨道灯装饰，供应柠檬水（8万越南盾），混合了咖啡花蜂蜜和用传统越南滴漏咖啡壶（一种带有内部金属过滤器的不锈钢杯）冲泡的咖啡，而店内的椰子咖啡（8万越南盾）混合了冷萃咖啡、椰奶、椰子糖浆和椰子冰淇淋。低糖的选择很多，包括意式咖啡、拿铁和卡斯卡拉斯咖啡（6万越南盾）。卡斯卡拉斯是一种类似茶的饮料，由咖啡树和果实的皮制成。

But the marquee attraction is their exhibition space. Adorned with posters, maps, machines and even a vintage motorcycle — a favored transportation method among Vietnamese growers — this side room provides an indoctrination into the nation’s coffee history, regions, bean types, cultivation methods and production techniques.
但最吸引人的还是他们的展览空间。这个侧室展厅里陈列着海报、地图、机器，甚至还有一辆老式摩托车——这是越南种植者喜欢的交通工具——向人们介绍越南的咖啡历史、产区、咖啡豆种类、种植方法和生产技术。

To go deeper, peruse the “Coffee 101” chapter in the display copy of “The Vietnamese Coffee Book,” a glossy tome published in 2022 with a foreword by Lacaph’s founder, Timen R.T. Swijtink. Or take Lacaph’s “Vietnamese Coffee & Culture” class, one of several coffee-themed experiences for beginners (450,000 to 650,000 dong).
要想深入了解，请阅读《越南咖啡书》(The Vietnamese Coffee Book)展示本中的“咖啡入门”一章。这本精美的大作于2022年出版，由Lacaph的创始人蒂门·斯威廷克作序。也可以参加Lacaph的“越南咖啡与文化”课程，这是适合初学者的几种咖啡主题体验之一（45万至65万越南盾）。

96B: A continuing education 96B：继续教育

Still thirsty for coffee knowledge? Head to the Tan Dinh district, famous for its 19th-century pink church and teeming covered market surrounded by street-food carts. Gray, angular and industrial, this small cafe packs educational ambitions with hands-on workshops (300,000 to 660,000 dong) devoted to everything from roasting beans to latte art. Hardcore enthusiasts can take the “Sensory Training” sequence, two courses that impart the art of tasting coffee like a pro, from understanding acidity to judging sweetness.
还想了解更多咖啡知识？那就去新定坊吧，那里以19世纪的粉色教堂和簇拥着街头小吃车的棚顶市场而闻名。这家工业风的小咖啡馆外观呈灰色、棱角分明，在教育方面充满雄心，提供从烘焙咖啡豆到拉花艺术的各种实践讲习班（30万至66万越南盾）。铁杆咖啡爱好者可以参加“感官训练”课程，这两门课程教你如何像专业人士一样品尝咖啡，从理解酸度到判断甜度。

But 96B’s mission is not purely academic. The cafe serves five hand-brewed Vietnamese coffees — complete with tasting notes and individual small carafes, like fine wine — as well as experimental drinks like Solar Cold Brew (85,000 dong), a mix of chilled coffee, ginger syrup, ginger jam, lemon cordial and rosemary.
但96B的使命并不纯粹是学术性的。这家咖啡馆供应五种手工冲泡的越南咖啡，配有品尝笔记和单独的小玻璃瓶，就像精品葡萄酒一样，还有一些实验性饮品，比如太阳冷萃（8.5万越南盾），这是一种由冰咖啡、姜糖浆、姜果酱、柠檬甜酒和迷迭香混合而成的饮料。

Afterward, customers can expand their knowledge by taking home “The Vietnam Coffee Atlas” (599,000 dong), the shop’s boxed set of Vietnamese beans. The eight varieties showcase different regions and styles of coffee.
之后，顾客可以把店内盒装的越南咖啡豆“越南咖啡地图集”（59.9万越南盾）带回家，扩大自己的知识。其中的八个品种展示了越南不同地区和风格的咖啡。

The Workshop: Building a better brew
工坊：调制更好的咖啡

There might be no better place to test your tasting skills than at this vast, loft-like, neo-industrial cafe, just off bustling Dong Khoi Street. A chalkboard announces the many local and international beans of the moment, and the illustrated menu proposes myriad preparation methods, from simple espresso to more involved pour-over methods and immersion devices.
熙熙攘攘的东桂街旁有一家宽敞的、阁楼式的新工业风格咖啡馆，这里可能是检验品尝咖啡技巧的最佳场所。店内一块黑板上列出了各种本地和国际的咖啡豆，配有图片的饮品单上列出了无数种制作方法，从简单的意式咖啡到更复杂的冲煮方法和浸泡装置。

For a high-tech coffee, choose the siphon (135,000 dong), an elaborate contraption of glass bulbs, tubes and knobs. The slow-drip technology will test your patience and reward your taste buds. The salted coffee (65,000 dong) with condensed milk is a favorite savory-sweet style developed in the former imperial city of Hue.
要喝高科技咖啡，可以选择虹吸壶（13.5万越南盾），这是一种由玻璃灯泡、管子和旋钮组成的精巧装置。慢滴技术很考验耐心，但也会让味蕾得到满足。加炼乳的盐咖啡（6.5万越南盾）是在前顺化皇城发展起来的一种受人喜爱的咸甜味咖啡。

The Workshop might also win the award for the city’s most extensive coffeehouse food menu, jumping from American-ish breakfasts (lemon-ricotta pancakes with mango, 135,000 dong) to North African-ized dishes (scrambled eggs with harissa sauce, 155,000 dong) to French desserts.
“工坊”还可能拥有全市咖啡馆最丰富的美食菜单奖，从美式早餐（芒果柠檬乳酪薄煎饼，13.5万越南盾）到北非菜（哈里萨酱炒鸡蛋，15.5万越南盾），再到法式甜点，应有尽有。

Little Hanoi Egg Coffee: Whip it good
小河内蛋咖啡：好好搅拌

The name of this local coffeehouse chain tells you everything you need to know about its signature attraction: a frothy, foamy, sweet take on egg coffee (40,000 dong), a Hanoi classic made with whipped egg yolks, condensed milk, sugar and vanilla flavoring.
从这家当地连锁咖啡馆的名字就可以看出它的招牌：蛋咖啡（4万越南盾），这是一种多泡沫的甜蛋咖啡，是河内的经典，用搅打过的蛋黄、炼乳、糖和香草调味。

The décor at the main location (119/5 Yersin Street) is old school: bamboo armchairs, floral-print cushions, plaid blankets, wood-paneled televisions, reel-to-reel tape decks and shelves of dusty used paperbacks. But the all-ages crowd laps up the time-warp atmosphere along with the (egg-heavy) all-day breakfast menu.
主店位于耶尔森街119/5号，装潢很老派：竹制扶手椅、印花靠垫、格纹毯子、木镶板电视、开盘式磁带机和放满落灰二手平装书的架子。但是所有年龄的来客都喜欢这种时光倒流的氛围，以及全天提供的早餐菜单（大量鸡蛋料理）。

Bel: Art and commerce Bel：艺术和商业

The sounds of mellow indie rock and fingers tapping computer keys greet you upon entering this minimalist, gallery-like space, where cool kids and global nomads noodle on laptops while baristas work the levers of a state-of-the-art Slayer espresso machine.
进入这个极简主义的画廊式空间，迎接你的是轻柔的独立摇滚音乐和手指敲击电脑键盘的声音。在这里，酷帅的年轻人和全球游牧民一边敲笔记本电脑一边吃面条，咖啡师在操作最先进的Slayer意大利浓缩咖啡机。

Outfitted with exposed overhead ducts and colorful abstract paintings on the walls, the cafe serves up espresso drinks (including a latte made with house pandan syrup, 90,000 dong), enticing juice blends (try the excellent jicama-guava-apple-ginger mix, 60,000 dong) and bags of house-roasted beans to go.
这家咖啡馆装点着裸露的架空管道，墙上挂着五颜六色的抽象画，提供意式咖啡（包括用自家香兰糖浆制成的拿铁，售价9万越南盾）、诱人的混合果汁（试试美味的凉薯-番石榴-苹果-姜混合果汁，售价6万越南盾）和袋装的自家烘焙咖啡豆。

If your caffeinated carousing in Saigon has inspired you to think about creating your own coffeehouse, just walk through the door at the end of the room. You’ll find yourself in the office of Building Coffee. A partner operation run by the “coffee coach” Will Frith, an American of Vietnamese descent, Building Coffee is a roastery and consultancy that advises aspiring cafe owners in the commerce of coffee.
如果你在西贡喝了那么多咖啡，也想自己开一家咖啡馆，那就走进房间尽头的那扇门吧。你会发现自己来到了“建设咖啡”的办公室里。由越南裔美国人、“咖啡教练”威尔·弗里思合伙经营的“建设咖啡”是一家烘焙工坊和咨询公司，为有抱负的咖啡馆老板提供咖啡商业方面的建议。

Ca Phe Vot: Coffee never sleeps
Ca Phe Vot：咖啡永不眠

By now you might have a serious caffeine dependency. If so, you’re hardly alone in Saigon and one tiny old establishment is open round-the-clock to provide everyone’s fix. Known as Ca Phe Vot (“net coffee”), the small, garage-like space is tucked away at 330/2 Phan Dinh Phung, a narrow lane in the Phu Nhuan district, south of the airport.
到如今，你可能已经对咖啡因产生了严重依赖。如果是这样，你在西贡并不孤单，有一家小而古老的咖啡店24小时营业，为所有人提供解决方案。这家名为Ca Phe Vot（纯咖啡）的小型车库空间隐藏在潘廷逢街330/2号，这是机场以南的富润坊一条狭窄的小巷。

By day, employees hustle to unload boxes of condensed milk while Madame Tuyet Pham and Monsieur Con Dang pass nets filled with robusta grounds through a cauldron of hot water atop a charcoal stove made from a repurposed B-52 bombshell. According to Madame Pham, the fire hasn’t gone out since the stove was first lit in the 1960s. The shop itself goes back to the 1950s.
白天，员工们忙着卸下一箱箱炼乳，范雪（音）和邓昆（音）则用装满热水的大锅，将装有罗布斯塔咖啡豆的滤网放入一个由B-52炸弹改装而成的木炭炉。据范雪说，自从20世纪60年代这个炉子第一次点燃以来，火就没有熄灭过。这家店的历史可以追溯到20世纪50年代。

By night, they hand over the reins and retire to sleep in their apartment over the shop. But the line of pedestrians and scooters awaiting takeaway coffee is nearly constant. Fueled by this nonstop demand, the cafe serves more than 500 cups a day (20,000 dong). Sip it on the go or on a low plastic stool in Ca Phe Vot’s humble white-tiled salon across the alley.
到了晚上，他们交班回到商店对面的公寓睡觉。但是总有行人和踩着滑板的人在外面派对等着买外卖咖啡。在这种不间断的需求推动下，这家咖啡馆每天供应500多杯咖啡（2万越南盾）。你可以在路边喝，也可以到小巷对面Ca Phe Vot简陋的白色瓷砖沙龙里，坐在低矮的塑料凳子上享用。

翻译：晋其角