Among Hanoi coffee specialties is egg coffee—super warm coffee with a floater or beaten egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk. It dates to the 1950s, supposedly when there was a shortage of milk in Hanoi. Beaten egg yolks with condensed milk extends the milk in an elegant, delicious manner. People likely hand-beat the yolks back then. Nowadays an electric mixer does the job in roughly 2 minutes. Egg coffee is rich and sweet, practically fancy-dessert-like. Enjoy it as an afternoon pick-me-up or serve it in small portions after dinner. Add 1 tablespoon whiskey or cognac for extra flourish. -Andrea Nguyen —Food52
Reprinted from Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea. Copyright © 2023 by Andrea Nguyen. Reprinted with permission by National Geographic Books.
Notes:
If a white ropy strand (chalaza) is attached to the yolk, it’s a sign of a super-fresh egg. However, it may not blend into the egg-cream mixture, so I usually remove it by straining through a mesh strainer.
*To minimize food safety risk, I don’t eat raw eggs often and I buy good-quality fresh eggs. I also keep them refrigerated and check for clean, intact shells. Try pasteurized or coddled eggs for this recipe. -Andrea Nguyen
*Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. —Food52
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