HANOI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Every morning, Tran Phuong Huyen settles into her favorite corner at a Hanoi cafe, opening her laptop to work as dark coffee slowly drips through a phin into the glass beside her.
"A cup of coffee helps me stay focused, and the cafe is where I get my best work done," said Huyen, a communications professional.
She first developed the habit as a university student, relying on coffee to stay awake during late-night study sessions.
Today, she still prefers coffee brewed through a phin, but the drink has become part of a broader routine that includes meeting clients, brainstorming ideas with colleagues and spending hours working in cafes.
Vietnam had more than 500,000 cafes as of 2025, ranging from tiny alleyway coffee shops to premium establishments and outlets operated by international chains, according to market-research estimates cited by Japan-based B&Company.
That small habit, shared by many Vietnamese, has a history stretching back more than a century.
Coffee first reached Vietnam in the late 19th century, and the phin on Huyen's table can be traced to the same period, drawing inspiration from French brewing tools.
The French brought more than coffee trees when they introduced the crop, according to Pham Minh Quan, a cultural expert from the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts at Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
"They also brought an entire system of coffee culture, from roasting, grinding and brewing to the habit of drinking coffee in public spaces, along with the cafe itself as a social space where people could meet, chat, discuss work and observe city life," Quan told Xinhua.
Initially a luxury enjoyed by French officials and Vietnamese elites, coffee gradually spread among ordinary Vietnamese in the early 20th century, laying the foundation for today's coffee culture, according to coffee researcher Nguyen Duc Hieu.
For Hieu, whose family runs a century-old cafe in Hanoi, coffee became part of everyday life because its flavor suited Vietnamese tastes.
"Vietnamese people prefer bold and strong flavors," Hieu said. "Whether it is tea or coffee, people often enjoy drinks with a rich, intense taste."
Hieu said coffee also introduced a different way for people to gather.
This social dimension can be traced back to the early coffeehouses of France and England, where people gathered to discuss philosophy, politics and current affairs, he said. Vietnamese cafes continue to serve a similar role today, with conversations unfolding around their tables.
"I think cafes are certainly no longer merely places to drink coffee," Huyen said, describing them as a third place between home and the office -- familiar and comfortable, while also offering new experiences and opportunities to connect with others.
"For me, it feels like being at home without having to do housework. At the same time, I do not feel constrained as I would in an office," she told Xinhua.
Coffee has reshaped not only the rhythm of life in Vietnam's cities but also livelihoods in the Central Highlands, where most of the country's coffee is grown.
According to Tran Dinh Trong, vice chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association in Dak Lak province, Vietnam's coffee heartland, local farmers once relied mainly on rice cultivation, which generated far lower incomes than coffee farming.
As coffee cultivation expanded, it gradually became a key source of income for many households.
H'Moan, a farmer in Tan An ward of Dak Lak province, said her family's income had increased by 25 percent since it adopted sustainable coffee-growing practices, helping the family improve its daily meals and support her children's education.
Last year, Vietnam's coffee exports reached a record high of 8.6 billion U.S. dollars, rising 52.5 percent year on year, according to local media. Enditem
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