Articles Lifestyle Mr Old Man Drinking Coffee the Brazilian Way, Living Coffee the Vietnamese Way By Mr Old Man Posted on 3 days ago 6 min read 0 0 16 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr A small Sunday reflection on coffee—through a Vietnamese lens. This morning, Mr. Old Man found himself at a familiar café somewhere in Da Nang. Sipping a hot black Americano, he was casually scrolling through LinkedIn when a post from Commonality Trading Club caught his eye. Since it was about coffee, it felt only right to pause and see where Vietnam stands in the global coffee scene. Turns out, Vietnam is no small player—holding about 18% of the global coffee market. Still, it comes second to Brazil, which leads with 39%. But what intrigued Mr. Old Man wasn’t the market share. It was something simpler: Do people in these two coffee giants drink coffee in the same way? That thought brought back a clip he had seen recently. A Vietnamese bride living in Brazil did a small “blind test” with her in-laws. Two cups of coffee were served: Cup #1: Brazil Cup #2: Vietnam Everyone tasted both and made their choice. The result? Nine chose Cup #2. Only one stayed loyal to Cup #1. At first glance, it looked like a clear win for Vietnam. But on second thought, the story felt a bit more nuanced. In Brazil, people drink “cafezinho”—a tiny, sweet cup of coffee, taken quickly before moving on. No lingering. No overthinking. Coffee there is like a quick nod, a brief greeting in the flow of the day. Brazilians drink coffee—in the most literal sense of the word. In Vietnam, it’s a different story. People sit. They wait. They watch each drop fall slowly through the phin filter. They sip, they talk, they drift into their own thoughts. Sometimes a single cup lasts an hour, and the conversation goes nowhere in particular. But no one seems in a hurry. Coffee is not just something to drink—it’s a moment to sit with oneself. So when you place those two cups side by side in a quick blind test, the 9–1 result makes perfect sense. Vietnamese coffee—mostly Robusta—is bold, strong, unmistakable from the first sip. Brazilian coffee—famous for Arabica—is smoother, more delicate, less aggressive on the palate. In a quick test, without context or habit, the more pronounced flavor usually wins. Much like in a crowded conversation—whoever speaks more clearly and strongly gets noticed first. But life isn’t always a contest. Brazilians may not choose their own cup in a single test, yet they are among those who drink coffee every day, many times a day, almost their entire lives. Vietnamese people, on the other hand… don’t just drink coffee. They live with it— whether in a quiet garden corner, a sidewalk café, or a more polished space— as long as there’s time to sit and stay a while. Mr. Old Man takes another sip. The cup is already half empty, but the morning is still long. And suddenly, the original question—who drinks more coffee—no longer feels that important. Perhaps what matters more is: how people need their coffee. Brazilians pass by coffee many times a day. Vietnamese people stay with it a little longer. One side drinks coffee. The other… lives with coffee. And this morning’s cup—strong at first, then gone lukewarm, and later topped up again— is not so different from the story of coffee in Brazil and Vietnam: different in style, different in moments, but in the end… it’s still coffee. ☕️ Curious—are you someone who drinks coffee, or lives with it? Mr. Old Man, A slow Sunday, with a cup of coffee.