What is Kopi C? Singapore's Coffee with Evaporated Milk

Kopi C is a Singapore kopitiam coffee made with evaporated milk and sugar. "Kopi" is the Malay and Hokkien word for coffee, and the "C" is widely said to refer to Carnation, a well-known evaporated milk brand used in the drink.

How kopi C differs from kopi

In a kopitiam, the letter you add changes the milk:

• Kopi: coffee with sweetened condensed milk. This is the default and it is sweet and creamy.
• Kopi C: coffee with evaporated milk and sugar. It is creamier and less sweet than kopi.
• Kopi O: black coffee with sugar.
• Kopi C kosong: kopi C with no sugar ("kosong" means "zero").
• Kopi peng: iced kopi. Add C and it becomes "kopi C peng", iced.
• Kopi gao and kopi po: strong and weak versions you can add to the order.

How it is made

Kopitiam coffee is made from beans roasted with sugar and margarine, a traditional Hainanese style that gives it a dark, smoky flavour. Ground coffee is placed in a cloth filter, often called a sock, and hot water is poured through it into a pot. The coffee is then poured into a cup that already holds the evaporated milk and sugar. The cup is stirred, and the amount of sugar can be adjusted when you order.

How to order

Say the drink and any changes. For example:

• "Kopi C" for evaporated milk and sugar
• "Kopi C kosong" for no sugar
• "Kopi C siew dai" for less sugar
• "Kopi C gao" for stronger

Kopi C and Singapore breakfast

Kopi C is often enjoyed with kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs, a classic kopitiam breakfast. Kopitiams have long been everyday meeting places, and Singapore's hawker culture was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020. You can find kopi C at kopitiams, hawker centres and coffee chains that offer local coffee, as well as in some modern cafes.