In this video, I wanted to answer a simple question I kept asking myself: why is it called a Spanish latte—and what’s the real story behind a Vietnamese latte too? We’ve been stuck in the Philippines for a while, but I really believe you can still experience other cultures through coffee. So I dug into how these drinks became a thing, why condensed milk shows up in both, and how coffee history (and practicality) shaped what people actually drink day to day. For Spanish coffee, I talk about “torrefacto,” a roasting style where sugar is added during roasting. It became popular around the Spanish Civil War because it helped extend shelf life and stretch yield, even if it pushed coffee toward a more bitter, burnt profile—so people naturally leaned on sugar or condensed milk. For Vietnam, I break down why robusta became the rock star: higher caffeine, stronger taste, and easier to grow. Vietnam is now the world’s second-largest coffee producer, and with limited dairy access back then, condensed milk became the go-to. Then I show you my at-home brewing method for both: Spanish latte with espresso plus condensed milk and milk, and Vietnamese-style with a phin-style drip (metal pour-over) over condensed milk, then ice. I do a quick taste test at the end—and yes, I definitely have a favorite.