The search for the perfect condensed milk

If you’ve ever had a Vietnamese iced coffee, you probably remember two things: strong coffee and sweet, creamy condensed milk.

For us at Ca Phin, condensed milk isn't simply an ingredient we add to make coffee sweeter. It is part of what makes a Vietnamese coffee taste like Vietnamese coffee.

And when you’re working with bold Vietnamese Robusta, finding the right condensed milk matters more than you might think.

Why condensed milk?

Vietnamese coffee and condensed milk have been together for a long time.

When coffee became part of Vietnamese culture, fresh dairy wasn't always easy to access or store in Vietnam's warm climate. Sweetened condensed milk offered something practical: it could be stored for longer, while adding both sweetness and creaminess to a strong cup of coffee.

Over time, the combination became a classic. The bold, bitter character of Robusta meets the sweetness and creamy texture of condensed milk, creating the balance we know as cà phê sữa đá.

And that balance is important.

Too much sweetness and the coffee disappears. Too little, and the coffee can become too intense. The right condensed milk should bring the two together without taking over.

So, which one works best?

For Ca Phin, the answer used to be easy.

We used Ông Thọ Đỏ (Red Longevity Condensed Milk), straight from Vietnam. It was the condensed milk we knew, loved, and had built our recipes around.

Then our supply from Vietnam was disrupted. Suddenly, we had to find a local alternative in Dubai.

Nestlé Condensed Milk

Our first try was Nestlé. It was easy to source, but when we put it into our coffee, it didn't quite work. We found the texture a little powdery and the sweetness a little too strong. It started overpowering the coffee rather than balancing it. (Plus, a little bit of questionable ethics 🙁)

Rainbow Condensed Milk

Then we tried Rainbow.

It was closer. The sweetness felt more balanced, and the coffee could still come through. It was also a little more practical from a cost perspective, so Rainbow became our choice for a while.

Ong Tho Xanh (Blue Longevity Condensed Milk)

Later, we managed to get our hands on Ông Thọ Xanh, the blue can. The aroma was closer to what we remembered, and it had a little more depth to it —but it also came at a higher price.

At that point, we had a pretty good idea of what we were looking for.

We got the red can back

Eventually, our supply of Ông Thọ Đỏ returned. And after trying everything else, it became even clearer why we'd used it from the beginning. It had the sweetness, texture, and familiar aroma we wanted — but most importantly, it worked with our coffee.

It doesn't try to hide the Robusta. It softens it, rounds it out, and lets the coffee remain the star.

Is Ông Thọ the “best” condensed milk?

We don't think there is one universal answer. Just like coffee, condensed milk comes down to taste, recipe, and what you're trying to create. But for our Vietnamese coffee, the red Ông Thọ is the one that tastes right.

After all our testing, we're happy to have Ông Thọ Đỏ back in our bar — and now, you can take one home too. Available at Ca Phin, JLT, Dubai.