Huế’s New Coffee Obsession You Shouldn’t Miss
Huế’s Most Iconic Local Coffee
Have you tried Huế’s most iconic local coffee yet?
Huế is lucky to have its own signature drink loved deeply by locals — Salt Coffee (Cà Phê Muối). It may not be as internationally famous as Hanoi’s egg coffee, but many Vietnamese coffee lovers would argue it’s just as unforgettable.
At first sip, you’ll notice the contrast: bold, slightly bitter Vietnamese coffee balanced by a creamy salted foam. The result is rich, smooth, and surprisingly addictive.
Part of its unique character comes from Vietnam’s traditional roasting style. Coffee beans are often roasted with butter and sugar — and the secret touch is fish sauce — creating a deep, savory aroma and a subtle umami note.
This roasting method shines in Vietnam’s milk-based coffees, giving them their signature intensity and warmth. But in cleaner styles like Americano, Cold Brew, or Nitro, that same bold profile can feel a little overwhelming.
Image 1 : A cup of Me Xung Salted Coffe by Dame Cafe
But salt coffee alone is no longer the end of the story.
Recently, people in Huế have taken this beloved drink even further, creating something more signature — and even more traditional.
Starting from the base of salt coffee, they added one local specialty: mè xửng, a traditional peanut–malt–rice sweet long associated with Huế’s tea culture.
What Is Mè Xửng?
Mè xửng is made through a slow cooking process where rice flour is gently cooked until it becomes chewy and elastic, then mixed with crushed peanuts and malt syrup made from sprouted grains and glutinous rice. The sweetness comes naturally from this process rather than from added refined sugar. The candy is coated with sesame seeds and wrapped in thin rice paper, then lightly grilled so the sesame becomes fragrant while the rice paper turns crisp.
On its own, mè xửng can feel quite one-dimensional — mostly sweet — and eating too much of it alone can quickly become overwhelming. That’s why it has traditionally been enjoyed with tea, where bitterness helps balance the sweetness.
When Tradition Meets Coffee
Someone eventually realized that this same balance works beautifully with the salty bitterness of salt coffee — and a new creation was born.
The coffee is finished with a light layer of sesame, slightly less condensed milk, and a touch of malt syrup that brings a gentle sweetness without a heavy aftertaste. A piece of mè xửng on top transforms the drink into something between a coffee and a dessert.
It becomes the perfect finale after a hearty breakfast — or an energizing afternoon dessert — whether following a bowl of phở or the iconic bún bò Huế, a coffee that feels both comforting and deeply local.
Image 2 : Me Xung in our Afternoon Tea Set
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