Vietnamese egg coffee
Cà phê trứng: egg yolk whisked with condensed milk into a thick, sweet cream and spooned over strong phin coffee.
Vietnam · Phin · Hot · Medium
- Coffee
- 15 g
- Water
- 70 ml
- Ratio
- About 1 : 5
- Temperature
- About 95 °C
- Time
- 10 min
- Caffeine
- About 70 mg
About 95 °C, just off the boil.
Dark roast, medium-coarse grind- Whisked egg cream 60 ml
- Phin coffee 40 ml
Ingredients
- 15 gGround coffeemedium-coarse; a dark roast
- 70 mlWaterjust off the boil
- 18 gEgg yolkvery fresh
- 30 gSweetened condensed milk
- 4 gSugaroptional
Method
Set the phin on a small cup, add the coffee, pour about 15 ml of water to wet it, and wait 30 seconds.
Wait0:30Fill the phin with the rest of the water, put the lid on, and let it drip for 4 to 5 minutes.
Drip4:30Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolk with the condensed milk and sugar until pale, thick, and about doubled: 3 to 5 minutes by hand, or about 2 with an electric whisk.
Whisk4:00Stand the cup of coffee in a small bowl of hot water to keep it warm.
Spoon the egg cream over the coffee and serve with a spoon.
Tips
- The yolk is not cooked, so use very fresh eggs; pasteurised eggs are safer for children, pregnant women, and older people.
- Whisk until the cream holds a ribbon for a few seconds; underwhipped, it sinks into the coffee.
About this drink
Cà phê trứng, egg coffee, was created in Hanoi in 1946 by Nguyễn Văn Giảng, a bartender at the Metropole hotel, when fresh milk was scarce. Egg yolk is whisked with condensed milk into a thick, sweet cream and spooned over strong phin coffee. It tastes something like a coffee custard, rich and sweet, with the bitter coffee underneath.
