Vietnamese Egg Coffee Recipe: How To Make Vietnamese Egg Coffee

No, wait, before you let the words egg and coffee send you for the hills, let us explain. At Black Ink Coffee we never steer you wrong, and today we are about to steer you into a new direction, one from which you may never turn back, all the way to a café in Vietnam. Our topic today is quite the little delicacy, one that has previously been called 'liquid tiramisu', or egg coffee cà phê trứng.

We're here to give you the low down on this sweet, delicious, frothy and low acid beverage. From what it is, to how you can get to savor a cup of it yourself, we're ultimately here to help. Whether you want to venture on down to Nguyen Huu Huan street for it, or make Vietnamese egg coffee yourself, this article has you covered

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Egg Coffee? I'll Pass

No, this is not a sunny side up egg in your morning cup of coffee, or an espresso shot on an omelette.

If you've ever been to Vietnam, or know anyone who has, you know the food and cuisine is worth raving about. Vietnamese coffee, or coffee ca phe trung is certainly no different.

While it may not have a particularly deliciously sounding name, once you have a try of this coffee dessert you'll have a lot to reconsider. The mental image of egg coffee ca phe certainly does not do justice to the actual final product.

So , stick with us, and we'll give you the lowdown on how much better it is than it sounds, and even how to make a cup of Vietnamese egg coffee yourself!

Now Lets crack some eggs..

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

Once you set your sights on Vietnamese coffee, your mouth may begin to water. The mixture of egg cream, sweetened condensed milk and coffee makes for a delicious whipped, frothy thickness that surpasses any latte foam you've seen before.

Add in a nice serving of sweet vanilla, and you'll be pounding back cups of cà phê trứng before you know it.

And if you're not convinced by the picture alone, you'll just have to taste some rich Vietnamese egg coffee before your mind is made.

And trust us, once you do, you're going to want another glass, and some instructions to make your own.

So What is it Really?

Coffee cà phê trứng , the magically delicious Vietnamese coffee is made with a blend of condensed milk, egg yolks, and espresso with hot water. You heard that right, no need for a fancy Vietnamese coffee maker or special Vietnamese coffee filters.

The sweetness of the condensed milk with the egg cream turns into a thick and airy egg mixture, which blends perfectly together with hot brewed coffee or espresso.

Whether you drink egg coffee cà phê trứng with espresso, a regular brew, or even iced coffee, the mixture of condensed milk, egg yolk and ground coffee flavor (and maybe, a touch of vanilla extract) is sure to leave you swooning.

While it is a staple recipe for every café in Vietnam, the instructions are simple enough for anyone to enjoy a cup.

How Does it Taste?

If you've ever brewed the drink yourself, or had it at a cafe in Hanoi, you'll know that this delicious coffee makes quite the rich dessert. If you aren't a fan of sugar sweetened food or coffee, this may not be the recipe for you.

Fresh coffee brewed grounds, along with the egg yolks makes this comparable to dessert food like tiramisu, or coffee meringues. Some have even compared this coffee recipe to a Cadbury cream egg style coffee drink.

One thing that makes this delicious drink such a treat is the thick foam from the egg mixture. After a good whisk, the sugar filled egg cream gives the drink a nice fluffy body, which is why it is similar to food with meringue.

Where Did Egg Coffee Come From?

For this amazing Vietnamese invention we have a person named Giang, a bartender at the Metropole hotel in Hanoi to thank.

The year was 1946, and Vietnam had been struck with a massive shortage of dairy products. Without any fresh milk to use in customer's lattes, Giang, the ever resourceful bartender was struck with an idea: egg yolks, and sugar!

Until then, surely no cafe around had thought of serving up a glass of eggs, sugar and coffee together.

At the time, Giang had no idea the forces of reckoning he had unleashed upon the world with his little mixture. Suddenly, customers were lining up for a serving, and instructions to make ca phe trung.

Egg Coffee, Success!

Soon, the demand for egg coffee became too high and Giang needed to open a cafe of his own.

As word caught fire, Vietnamese egg coffee spread out from Hanoi and around the world! For decades, people have sought out the little cafe in Hanoi, in search of the so called 'liquid tiramisu' brew. And while many recipes have emerged, few are said to compare to this original Vietnamese coffee recipe.

To this day Nguyen Huu Huan street remains the best place in Hanoi for egg coffee. Also to this day, the son of the inventor Nguyen Van Dao, can still be found there making this special coffee treat.

The good news from us is: you don't need to travel all the way to Vietnam for some sweet cups of egg coffee. Today, there are still many recipes available for you to enjoy a glass of this special treat.

Next, we are going to expose a few of our secrets so that you can make your very own ca phe trung, no ticket to Hanoi necessary!

How to Make Vietnamese Coffee?

 

If you are on a quest to learn how to make Vietnamese coffee, this guide will serve you well. First, gather up all your ingredients.

You won't need much to make Vietnamese coffee, just a bowl, some boiling water, ground coffee (traditionally Vietnamese coffee powder), water, eggs, condensed milk, cups and a whisk (And maybe even a teaspoon of vanilla).

You're free to opt for brewed coffee grounds, espresso, or for an even more refreshing recipe, use iced coffee. For this recipe we're going to use espresso, and a bowl of hot water, 12 ounces in total.

Next, make sure you have your 4 tbsp of sweetened condensed milk. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a bowl with the egg yolk, and then whisk them together. You will know the egg cream is whipped once it develops a frothy fluff like texture. Meanwhile, get those espresso grounds boiling.

After a good whisk, and the water for the coffee has finished boiling, you are ready to pour the cream on top. Combine the egg mixture with the coffee and there you have it! And as good as that sounds, you can also add 1 teaspoon of vanilla for an extra sweet taste.

Note: If you're using the traditional Vietnamese coffee, you will also need to purchase a special coffee filter for that. Also, we recommend using a clear cup for your egg coffee, just to marvel at how good it looks. We encourage you to try this out, and maybe even put your own spin on the classic Vietnamese coffee recipe.

Vietnamese Egg Coffee Recipes

There are many other great ways to make this rich Vietnamese egg coffee recipe, your own way.

For starters, instead of espresso, you can use a French press using your favorite coffee grounds and boiling water. One of our favorite alternative recipes for this beverage includes pouring the coffee and hot water over ice, and substituting the sweet condensed milk with fresh coconut cream.

Using the coconut cream also gives an extra little foam texture with the eggs, making this a go to brew recipe for this little treat.

Sounds good doesn't it?

Simpler The Better

You know that at Black Ink Coffee, the best recipe is a simple one. We've found some takes on the recipe that simplify the process even more.

One of the recipes we've found includes simply adding egg yolk to a coffee, and then to pour in some cream and sugar. After you mix it all together you end up with a similar fluffy texture, and the rich sweetness that will make you think you're at a café in Vietnam.

So get your cup and get those eggs cracking!

Swedish Egg Coffee

So you're probably wondering by now why we haven't mentioned anything called Swedish Egg Coffee. Well, that's because the Swedish and Vietnamese versions are the same. It would be no different than someone making a peanut butter and fluff sandwich in America or in Africa. Same ingredients, different country.

Decaf, Please.

Some favorite ways to make the drink also include using decaffeinated beans, or a chicory root coffee substitute.

In this recipe, the bitterness of the chicory root, along with the sugar and the eggs filter into one decadent pairing perfect for a midnight snack. So, if you're like us and love a good coffee with some dessert food, but don't want to be awake all night, this is a great alternative recipe!

In an Eggshell.

So, there you have it, the history of egg coffee and recipes to go with it. Just like all coffee trends, you'll probably hear this concoction called a million names; Swedish egg coffee, Vietnamese, etc. Still, the idea remains the same!

When you really break it down, Vietnamese egg coffee isn't what it sounds like at first blush. The combination of sugar, milk, eggs and coffee actually makes for quite the souped up latte.

If you're looking for a recipe to entertain at your next dinner party, you may want to consider Vietnamese egg coffee. Even if you're no food exert, this is simple enough to do, for just about anyone, and a sure way to impress your friends. While it may not be made by Nguyen or Giang himself, we're sure it will still turn out fabulous!

So, you don't need to go all the way to Hanoi to enjoy a cup of this magical treat yourself, thanks to the simple recipe we shared above. Remember to be creative and experiment a little, a dash of this or a teaspoon of that...Make your own special cup and add your own flavor to it.

But, of course, if you are looking to really experience the magic of egg coffee, we do suggest making the trip over at least once in your life. No matter what, there's never anything quite like the original!

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