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No, I have not lost my mind.
No, that is not a typo: it really does mean to say “EGG COFFEE” – I’m not joking
Yes, this is still a (to be taken seriously) food blog.
There is a perfectly simple explanation to all this weirdness. Every so often I find things so amazing that I can’t wait to share it with you guys.
Sometimes these amazing things just happen to sound pretty weird.
Like Egg Coffee.
Egg coffee. Srsly, who is in charge of the editorial decisions of this blog? Did I really believe any of you would want to make this, let alone drink it?
Yes. Yes I did. Why? Because Vietnamese-style egg coffee is going to be one of your new favourite dessert/ after meal coffee time experiences. Period.
Back in the 1940’s Mr. Nguyen Giang, a resident of Hanoi, Vietnam, was working as a barman at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel. The story goes that, one night, Mr. Giang ran out of milk to serve with the coffee. Instead he used a concoction of egg yolks and condensed milk to make, what is known today in Vietnam as, Egg Coffee or Cà Phê Trứng.
Such a success was Cà Phê Trứng that Mr. Giang opened a cafe and egg coffee has been a part of Hanoi ever since.
OK, history lesson over. Let me break it down for you. This is what’s going to happen:
1. You’re going to brew strong black coffee
The method of producing this coffee is really up to you, the coffee making equipment at hand, and the type of coffee you have in your cupboards or are about to place on that shopping list.
For the sake of this post I will tell you that traditional, Vietnamese Egg Coffee is made with (surprise, surprise) Vietnamese coffee, made using a Vietnamese coffee filter. These filters can be ordered online or can sometimes be found in your local Asian grocery/ supermarket.
Or, if you happen to be in Vietnam right now (lucky you!), you can pick them up almost anywhere (in Hanoi there is a coffee store on almost every street corner) for a ridiculously small amount of cash.
Depiste having just visited Vietnam, I forgot to buy one so I either use my espresso machine – because I’m that sort of person – or throw some Vietnamese coffee (which I did remember to buy) into a Cafetiere
Despite my relaxed stance on the type of coffee use, please…
Please, please, please, please, please please DO NOT use INSTANT coffee. I have so many issues with instant coffee that it would take an entire blog post to explain them all to you so I will keep it short.
I don’t like instant coffee. I don’t mind other people drinking the stuff (I do secretly judge you, ) I urge you to use fresh coffee for this recipe otherwise you are wasting the entire taste experience that is waiting for you.
2. You are going to make Egg Cream
Still sounding weird, I know, but bear with me.
Egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk (a must have for any Vietnamese coffee) will be whisked together until a thick, fluffy mayonnaise-like consistency is formed. Wait, I’m sorry, using mayonnaise as an analogy for a coffee recipe, especially when we already have the weirdness of egg, is just making this even weirder.
Try again: A Custard-Like consistency. That’s better. Think of it as like the thick, foamy cap that sits on top of a cappuccino.
3. The Egg Cream is poured on top of the coffee
That’s right. This weird mixture of egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk is spooned/ poured over the strong black coffee.
Voila, your Vietnamese Egg Coffee has been made. Not only is this recipe about to change your coffee drinking life it is so quick and simple to make.
Now there is only one thing left to do….
4. Drink the Vietnamese Egg Coffee
The taste?
This is going to be one of the richest, sweetest, coffee based beverage you are ever going to drink.
It has been referred to (by several online ousrces) as liquid tiramisu. I get where this analysis is coming from but – seeing as I’m the a tiramisu is only a tiramisu if there is rum involved, kinda person – I don’t quite get that.
Instead it tastes like a rich, white chocolate and coffee dessert; Like some delectable treat bought from the best bakery/ patisserie in town.
If you like sweet, white chocolate flavour enhanced coffees (like, for example anything from a Starbucks menu) then you are going to feel right at home with this coffee
If, on the other hand, you are me and prefer a cup of black coffee (double espresso for me please) without the flavourings and added milk or cream then it may not be thing to kick start your daily caffeine intake. However, treat it like a dessert in liquid form and you will quickly come to love it.
If I – the ultimate coffee snob – love it, I’m sure you will to.
And if you are, or a planning to be, in Vietnam make sure you head up to Hanoi to try this sensation in it’s homeland.
Although the cafe has moved several times since its opening, Cafe Giang is still serving Cà Phê Trứng and is run by Mr. Giang’s son, Mr Nguyen Tri Hoa
Cà Phê Trứng – Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Prep Time: 5 mins || Serves: 2
Rate this recipe: 
(16 votes, average: 4.31 out of 5)
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Ingredients:
- Black Coffee, enough to fill two small cups around two thirds full
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 6 Tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
Instructions:
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- Brew the coffee
- Whisk the egg yolks and vanilla essence together until the eggs have become thick and stick. Beat in the condensed milk 1/2 tablespoon at a time (you may want an electric whisk or beater for this) and continue beating for a few minutes until the mixture is thick and custard, like.
- Pour the black coffee into cups and spoon/ pour the egg mixture over the top. Serve.
- If you want to keep it traditional, sever you coffee cup into a bowl of hot water, so the coffee stays hot.
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How do you get the cream to float? Mine always seems to sink to the bottom of the glass. More whisking? Magic?
Cheers!
Hi James, Magic would certainly be helpful but more whisking would probably be the easier option 🙂 I had a similar problem when I first started testing the recipe. You want to make sure it is REALLY thick to the point where it won’t pour onto the coffee, rather you’ll need to spoon it out instead. Try using a little less of the milk to see if you get a thicker result. Hope this helps!
I found the use of egg with coffee in of all places, a site for smoothies and thickies. Two questions (and please bear with me) –
How do you keep the eggs from curdling with warm/hot coffee? Would the combination with sweetened condensed milk AND the custard stop that?
Is the sweetened condensed milk necessary or can I use unsweetened milk instead since I’m trying to control (albeit unsuccessfully) to lower my sugar intake
Hey Brandy,
I’ve made this coffee quite a few times and I’ve never had the eggs curdle on me (and, to be honest, I never thought of that either). As far as the milk goes you can use sweetened or unsweetened – it’s really about personal preference. I just use sweetened because that was how it was made in Vietnam and I like to have a little sugar “cheat treat” now and then!
Woahhhhh I want this!!! I’m gonna try it!
Is there a risk when consuming the raw egg mixture, like salmonella?
Hi Stephen. It depends on where you’re getting your eggs from. Most salmonella contamination occurs shortly after the egg is laid and is significantly reduced if the eggs are washed immediately, eggs with cracked shells are not used, or the egg is cooked. Although it is raw egg added to the coffee, the coffee will cook the egg mixture reducing the risk. Salmonella contamination is very unlikely, even from raw eggs here in Australia. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/documents/Eggs_healthandsafety.pdf