It might sound odd when first hearing about Vietnamese Egg Coffee. You might doubt if such a drink also exists, and you might as well instantly picture it as the omelet-flavored beverage. However, the Vietnamese have been enjoying their cups of coffee mixed with eggs for decades.
Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trung) has been a very popular flavored coffee in Vietnam, and it has impressed many travelers who returned from Vietnam recently.
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Interesting Facts about Vietnamese Egg Coffee
There is a beautiful story behind how Vietnamese Egg Coffee firstly originated. In fact, Vietnamese Egg Coffee was firstly discovered in Hanoi in 1946, and Nguyen Van Giang was the founder of this secret recipe.
Interestingly, Giang found the Vietnamese Egg Coffee from his response to the shortage of milk caused by the French War. He figured out that creamy egg yolk with sugar will make a great substitute for milk and taste great with coffee.
Then, Giang’s Vietnamese Egg Coffee became a success, and its popularity made it one of the traditional drinks in Hanoi. Later, it influenced the rest of the country; like Ho Chi Minh City, the coffee shops started serving this signature drink too.
So, if you happen to visit Vietnam in the future, don’t miss trying this specialty drink from their local coffee shops.
What Does Coffee Taste Like?
Let’s get to know more about the delicious taste of Vietnamese egg coffee.
Vietnamese Egg Coffee is a flavored cup of dark coffee topping with a foamy layer of sweetened egg cream. The Vietnamese serve this treat as a dessert coffee, and it works perfectly as a quick breakfast blend and a rich boost of energy.
Drinking Vietnamese egg coffee, you absorb it through the cream, the silky flavor of a sweet eggy foam that floats at the top of your cup. It has separate layers, sweet cream and bitter coffee, which perfectly complement each other.
If you’re curious about this drink and want to give it a try, read the recipe that we put together below.
Tips for Making Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Ingredients
It’s very easy to make Vietnamese egg coffee, and you only need a few ingredients as below:
- 2 tablespoon Vietnamese coffee or dark roasted coffee
- 3 cups of boiling water
- 1-3 tablespoons of condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon of sugar (or vanilla sugar if available)
- 2 egg yolks
- Cacao powder (optional)
Note: The above ingredients are used for a single cup of the drinks, so you also scale up the amounts of ingredients to fit with your servings needed. Also, if you’d prefer less sweet, you can put less condensed milk and sugar, and that apple the same way for coffee.
Tools
- Electric whisk
- Coffee brewer
- Two bowls, one for mixing eggy foam and the other for keeping hot water
Egg Foam
When preparing the eggy foam for topping on the coffee, make sure you take only the egg yolk and discard the egg white part. For the milk, you can use any kind of condensed milk available at home to mix with egg yolk. The combination will create a smooth, airy form, and we’ll share with you the actual step to make it later in the next part.
Coffee
Of course, Vietnamese coffee works best for their specialty egg coffee drink as their coffee is primarily made of strong Robusta beans. It’s a perfect combination with sweet eggy foam, and you’ll get the counterbalanced taste between sweet and bitter taste.
No worry if you don’t have any Vietnamese coffee at home. You can also use any pre-ground coffees as long as they’re produced from Robusta beans, such as espresso or French roast coffee. A regular drip machine is also a good option though it’s less bold; it’s very suitable if you’re not a strong coffee drinker. Or you can just use your favorite coffee that you like.
Tip: For making coffee, the Vietnamese use a Phin filter as their brewing tool. It’s a slow drip-brew style and very popular in the country. The Phin doesn’t require you to have any extra paper filter, and so the coffee is more concentrated through the metal filter in the Phin itself.
How to make Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Step 1: Brew the Coffee
- Brew hot coffee using your coffee machines such as French Press or an espresso machine
- Pour it over a cup (about half a cup) for later use.
- Make sure to keep coffee staying hot or warm for topping the cream over.
Step 2: Make the Eggy Foam
- Put egg yolks, sugar, and condensed milk in a bowl.
- Start mixing them using an electric wire whisk until they become thick and foamy (it should take 3-5 minutes to get this texture)
Step 3: Test the Foam
Remember the hot water we mentioned in the ingredient list? We actually use it to ensure you get the consistency of the foam before assembling it with the drink.
- Place a spoon of foam on a top bowl of hot water.
- If the foam floats on top of the water, it has the correct texture
- If not, you can whip foam in your bowl for a few more minutes and test it again until it floats on top of the water
Step 4: Assemble the Vietnamese Egg Coffee
- Gently spoon the whipped egg foam on the top of each coffee cup, and you can use 1 to 2 tablespoons per cup.
- Optionally, dust a bit of the pre-ground coffee through the cream in each cup. You can also use cacao powder if preferred.
- Once ready, you can serve it immediately as the coffee cup is still warm.
The Benefits of this Coffee
We not only want you to enjoy the delicious Vietnamese egg coffee but also want you to know how you get benefits from this tasty drink.
In fact, there are some health benefits you can find in Vietnamese egg coffee. The egg is a rich source of nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and fats, while coffee helps to boost your performance throughout the day. For instance, when you want to work out, you can have a cup of egg coffee, and it will help in your muscle recovery.
Moreover, the protein in egg yolks also decreases the acridness of the coffee, and consequently, the drink will taste more flavorful and less bitter. So, it’s a perfect blend for a quick and healthy breakfast, especially for those who are in a rush.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do I need to use robusta coffee for Vietnamese egg coffee?
Robusta is a stronger coffee type since it contains more caffeine and bitterness than Arabica. Its bold and concentrated taste is a perfect choice for making Vietnamese egg coffee. So, the drink will be flavorful with a well-balanced blend of sweet egg foam and bitter coffee. However, if you don’t have robusta coffee beans at home, you can also replace them with a double shot of Arabica espresso.
Why do you need egg yolks for coffee?
The egg yolk is meant to replace the foamed milk in coffees such as Cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, and more. The fat content of egg yolk provides the foam a rich flavor and velvety texture. It’s indeed a perfect match to whip with the condensed milk for coffee foam.
Conclusion
We know you really enjoy drinking your coffee, and that’s why we did research and found more recipes for you to indulge your coffee time. This coffee is not only for your energy boost but also is full of nutrients that are good for your health. So, with the special recipe above, we hope it helps to improve the taste of your cup of joe.
References:
- Vietnamese Egg Coffee | Atalas Obscura
- A coffee with egg, please! Meet the Vietnamese Egg Coffee | Foodandroad
- Egg coffee: why you should be drinking it | Arabian Business
- 5 Egg Coffee Recipes (Vietnamese, Swedish + Secret Recipes) | Home Grounds
Best Vietnamese Egg Coffee Recipe | Quick & Easy Coffee Drink | Nguyen Coffee Supply By Nguyen Coffee Supply