NANYANG COFFEE
The Distinctive Kopi Culture of Singapore and Southeast Asia
Nanyang Coffee, commonly known as Kopi, is a familiar part of everyday coffee culture in Singapore and Malaysia. Its Robusta beans, traditional roasting style, coarse grind, sock-filter extraction and customisable milk-and-sugar combinations give it a character very different from espresso.
THE UNIQUE FLAVOURS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
What Is Nanyang Coffee?
Nanyang Coffee, or Kopi, is a traditional coffee style commonly found in local beverage shops known as kopitiams across Singapore, Malaysia and neighbouring parts of Southeast Asia.
The word kopi is the Malay word for coffee, while tiam is a local Hokkien/Hakka term for a shop. Together, “kopitiam” describes the traditional coffee-shop setting where many people encounter Nanyang Coffee.
Compared with espresso-style coffee, Kopi has a very different flavour, aroma and preparation method. The differences begin with the beans and roasting process and continue through grinding, extraction and the way the drink is finished with sugar or milk.
TASTE OF NANYANG
What Makes Nanyang Coffee Different?
Robusta Coffee Beans
Nanyang Coffee is traditionally made with Robusta coffee beans. Robusta is generally easier and less costly to cultivate than some other coffee species, while still producing the bold character associated with traditional Kopi.
Traditional Roast With Butter and Sugar
The traditional Singapore and Malaysia roasting style described in BrewRatio’s original guide includes butter and sugar during roasting. This contributes to the dark colour, rich aroma and distinctive flavour profile associated with Nanyang Coffee.
Bold, Robust and Suited to Milk
The Robusta base and traditional roasting style give Kopi a strong, robust flavour. That intensity pairs naturally with common additions such as condensed milk, evaporated milk and sugar.
Longer, Lower-Temperature Roasting
The original BrewRatio guide describes Nanyang Coffee beans as being roasted at a lower temperature over a longer period than beans typically prepared for espresso, helping develop its characteristic flavour.
GRIND & BREW
How Traditional Kopi Is Prepared
Coarser Than Espresso
The coffee grounds used for Nanyang Coffee are much coarser than the fine grind typically used for espresso.
Traditional Kopi preparation places greater emphasis on a fast, practical workflow suited to the kopitiam environment rather than the pressure-based extraction used for espresso.
Coffee Pot and Sock Filter
Traditional Nanyang Coffee is brewed by mixing the ground coffee with hot water in a coffee pot, then filtering it through a cloth “sock” filter into a coffee kettle.
This is fundamentally different from espresso, where hot water is pushed through finely ground coffee under pressure. The original BrewRatio guide also notes that Nanyang Coffee can be prepared using a V60 dripper as an alternative method.
Customise With Milk and Sugar
After brewing, Kopi is commonly customised with sugar, condensed milk or evaporated milk according to personal preference.
These additions complement the stronger flavour profile of the Robusta-based coffee and create the familiar range of drinks ordered in local kopitiams.
Popular Types of Nanyang Coffee
Singapore and Malaysia’s kopitiam culture offers many variations of Nanyang Coffee. The name of the drink tells you whether it contains sugar, condensed milk, evaporated milk or ice.
- Kopi-O KosongBlack coffee without sugar or milk
- Kopi-OBlack coffee with sugar
- KopiCoffee with sweetened condensed milk
- Kopi-CCoffee with evaporated milk and sugar
- Kopi-O Kosong PengIced Kopi-O Kosong
- Kopi-O PengIced Kopi-O
- Kopi-PengIced Kopi with condensed milk
- Kopi-C PengIced Kopi-C with evaporated milk and sugar
KOPI VS ESPRESSO
Two Very Different Ways to Make Coffee
Traditional Kopi
- Typically Robusta-based
- Traditional roast may include butter and sugar
- Coarser coffee grounds
- Hot-water steeping and cloth sock filtration
- Frequently customised with condensed milk, evaporated milk or sugar
Pressure Extraction
- Can use different coffee species and roast styles
- Fine espresso grind
- Extraction through an espresso machine
- Hot water pushed through coffee under pressure
- Served alone or used as the base for milk drinks
SAVOUR THE DISTINCTIVE COFFEE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
A Coffee Style Built Around Local Taste and Tradition
Nanyang Coffee is more than simply another way of brewing coffee. Its Robusta beans, traditional roasting style, coarse grind, sock-filter extraction and flexible milk-and-sugar combinations form part of the everyday coffee culture of Singapore and Malaysia.
From a plain Kopi-O Kosong to a sweet and creamy Kopi or Kopi-C, the same base coffee can be adapted into many familiar local drinks.
