Vietnamese Egg Coffee (cà phê trứng) is a delicious combo of strong coffee topped with a light, fluffy cream made from whipped egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. The drink was invented in Hanoi back in the 1940s, during a time when fresh milk was scarce because of wartime shortages. A bartender named Nguyễn Văn Giảng, who worked at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel, came up with the idea of using whipped egg yolks mixed with sugar and sometimes condensed milk to create a creamy, rich substitute for milk in coffee. The drink caught on because it’s genuinely delicious. It’s thick and luscious, almost like a coffee-flavored dessert.
Today, Vietnamese Egg Coffee is still super popular in Hanoi, which was also where I tried it for the first time and you’ll find it at lots of cafés, especially around the Old Quarter. Some places have been making it the same way for generations, using old family recipes, while others offer it as a regular item on the menu alongside other coffee drinks. Outside of Hanoi, Egg Coffee is a bit harder to find, but in bigger cities like Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), you can still find cafés that serve their own version.
Notes
You don’t stir the foam and coffee together. Instead, you sip it slowly, so you get a little of the sweet, creamy foam and the strong coffee in each sip. If you prefer a more even taste, you can of course stir it up before drinking.
Regarding condensed milk, make sure you get the right kind of thick, sticky, sweetened condensed milk. Longevity brand is a safe bet and one of the most commonly used for Vietnamese coffee.
The best coffee base is a cup of Vietnamese phin filter drip coffee, but an espresso or a strong cup of brewed coffee (or even instant coffee) will also do the trick.
Want to try an iced version? Just use chilled coffee instead of hot. Whip the egg cream as usual, fill a glass with ice cubes, pour in the coffee, and top with the foam.
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Recipe: Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Recipe by Mitzie Mee – Sanne Vietnamese Egg Coffee (cà phê trứng) is a delicious combo of strong coffee topped with a light, fluffy cream made from whipped egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. The drink was invented in Hanoi back in the 1940s, when fresh milk was hard to come by, and people had to get a little creative to make their coffee taste good. Egg Coffee is quick to make and tastes amazing both hot and cold.
2
cupsIngredients
2 2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons 4 sweetened condensed milk
2 small cups 2 strong coffee
Directions
- Whip the egg yolks and condensed milk together until you get a light and fluffy foam. It’s easiest if you use a hand mixer.
- Brew two small cups of strong coffee and pour them into two glasses.
- Carefully spoon the whipped egg cream on top of the coffee and serve right away.
