"Egg coffee," born in Hanoi, is a drink topped with a sweet cream of whipped egg yolk over strong, bitter coffee. Despite being an unexpected combination of egg and coffee, its taste is just like tiramisu. Now it is loved by travelers around the world as a local coffee that represents Vietnam.
This article brings together everything from what egg coffee really is to the history of its birth, its flavor, how to make it at home, and how to enjoy it in its home region. For the characteristics of Vietnamese coffee overall, see The Complete Guide to Vietnamese Coffee as well.
What is egg coffee?
Egg coffee is a drink called "ca phe trung" in Vietnamese. "Trung" means egg, and as the name says, it is coffee that uses egg.
The basic method is to whip egg yolk and condensed milk into a fluffy cream and place it over strongly brewed coffee. Strong Robusta coffee extracted with a phin and the sweet, rich egg-yolk cream form layers, and you savor it while stirring with a spoon. It looks similar to a cappuccino, but what sits on top is not milk foam but egg-yolk cream.
The history of its birth | a cup born from a milk shortage
Vietnam's history is etched into egg coffee. It was born in an era when goods were scarce.
In 1940s Hanoi, there was a time when fresh milk was hard to obtain. So it is said that, in place of the milk added to coffee, the idea of whipping egg yolk and using it was devised. A long-established Hanoi cafe spread this way of drinking, and before long egg coffee became a specialty representing Hanoi. Wisdom that overcame scarcity with ingenuity gave rise to a cup still loved today.
Flavor and characteristics
The appeal of egg coffee is, above all, its rich flavor. You can enjoy the contrast of bitter coffee and sweet cream.
The egg-yolk cream is smooth, and when you take it in your mouth, a sweetness reminiscent of custard or tiramisu spreads. From beneath it, the powerful bitterness of Robusta follows, creating a balance of sweet and bitter. The smell peculiar to egg is hardly noticeable thanks to thorough whipping and the sweetness of the condensed milk. Warm egg coffee has a dessert-like satisfaction, while the cold type can be enjoyed refreshingly.
How to make it at home
The ingredients are simple, and it can be reproduced at home. As long as you put effort into the whipping, you can enjoy a cup close to the real thing.
What to prepare
- Egg yolk | 1
- Condensed milk (sweetened) | 1–2 tablespoons
- Strongly brewed Vietnamese coffee | 1 serving (ideally with a phin)
- A whisk or milk frother, if available
The steps
- Put the egg yolk and condensed milk in a bowl and whip thoroughly until whitish and fluffy
- Pour the strongly brewed coffee into a cup
- Gently place the whipped egg-yolk cream on top of the coffee
- If you want it warm, using a cup warmed in a water bath keeps it from cooling
- Savor it while stirring little by little with a spoon
The point is to whip the egg yolk thoroughly to incorporate air. The fluffier the cream, the better the mouthfeel, and the smell is less noticeable. Brewing the coffee strong gives a balance that is not overwhelmed by the sweet cream. Dusting cocoa powder at the finish makes it even more dessert-like.
If you want to taste it in its home of Hanoi
The home of egg coffee is, above all, Hanoi. If you visit on a trip, it is a cup you will definitely want to taste locally.
In Hanoi's Old Quarter, long-established cafes that make egg coffee their signature are dotted about. Sipping warm egg coffee in a hideaway-like shop at the back of a narrow alley is an experience unique to Hanoi. Starting with the long-established shop said to be its origin, the sweetness of the cream and the degree of whipping differ by shop, so comparing them is one of the pleasures. A warm cup drunk in Hanoi in the cold season takes on an exceptional flavor.
Variations that spread out from egg coffee
Combinations with egg-yolk cream have spread beyond coffee as well. In Hanoi's cafes, novel versions using egg-yolk cream have also been born.
- Egg cocoa | a sweeter cup combined with cocoa instead of coffee
- Egg beer | a novel version with egg-yolk cream on top of beer
- Egg matcha | a variation combined with matcha, where you can enjoy a slight bitterness
In every one, the richness of the fluffy egg-yolk cream is the foundation. For those not fond of coffee, egg cocoa or egg matcha can be a gateway. Once you get used to the basic egg coffee, trying these variations too broadens the ways you can enjoy egg-yolk cream.
Frequently asked questions
- Does egg coffee taste of egg?
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Because the egg yolk is thoroughly whipped and combined with the sweetness of condensed milk, the smell peculiar to egg is hardly noticeable. The flavor is close to custard cream or tiramisu, and it can be enjoyed like a dessert. It is a cup that many say is easy to drink even for those not fond of egg.
- Where did egg coffee originate?
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It originated in Hanoi, in northern Vietnam. In the 1940s, in an era when milk was hard to obtain, using egg yolk in place of milk is said to have been the start. It is still beloved as a Hanoi specialty at long-established cafes in the Old Quarter.
- Can it be made at home too?
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Yes. Just whip egg yolk and condensed milk thoroughly into a cream and place it over strongly brewed coffee. Having a whisk or milk frother gives a fluffier cream. Brewing the coffee strong is the trick to making it delicious.
- Which is recommended, warm or cold?
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You can choose by preference and season. The warm type suits the cold season, and the cold type suits the hot season. In its home of Hanoi, the thick, warm type is beloved as the standard.
- What kind of coffee should I use?
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Strongly brewed Vietnamese coffee is suitable. Extracting a dark roast of Robusta strongly with a phin gives a richness that is not overwhelmed by the sweet egg-yolk cream. If you do not have a phin, strongly brewed coffee can substitute. The firmer the bitterness of the coffee, the better the balance with the cream.
Summary | a Hanoi specialty born from scarcity
Egg coffee was born from the constraint of a milk shortage of its time, and has now grown into a cup that represents Hanoi. The flavor woven from the sweetness of the egg-yolk cream and the bitterness of Robusta is unforgettable once you drink it. It can be reproduced at home if you gather the ingredients, and if you visit Hanoi you can encounter the authentic taste.
For the production areas and varieties of Vietnamese coffee, see The Complete Guide to Vietnamese Coffee and for choosing souvenirs of beans and phin, see our sister site's Vietnam Coffee Specialist Site as well.
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