Forget affogato, people are putting eggs in their coffee now

Would you try an egg coffee? (Picture: Robertson Buckhaven) As a nation, we’ve become insufferable over coffee. Haven’t we? There was a time when ordering a coffee involved one simple question: milk and sugar? But these days, simply requesting a ‘coffee’ will have you sniggered out of Costa. We now have to navigate questions like: single origin or blend? Oat or almond? Flat white or cortado? And would sir prefer his beans ethically sourced from a smallholding on the eastern slopes of a dormant Guatemalan volcano? I don’t care, just give me something to wake me up. For the love of all things caffeine-related. Just when I thought we’d exhausted every conceivable way of tinkering with a perfectly good cup of coffee, along comes another ‘viral’ ingredient you should be adding. And this one’s a humdinger. Egg. Yes, egg. As in the things laid by chickens that you crack on the side of a pan to make the breakfast you eat. But before we point our collective finger of blame at TikTok, this particular concoction has actually been around since the 40s. What is Vietnamese egg coffee? The drink is Vietnamese (Picture: Robertson Buckhaven) Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Cà phê trứng, also known as egg coffee, is made by whipping egg yolk with sweetened condensed milk until it becomes a thick, pale, velvety foam. This is then spooned over strong, dark coffee, creating something that sits between a morning cuppa and a crème brûlée. The coffee itself is traditionally made using a ‘phin’, a small Vietnamese metal filter that produces an intensely concentrated brew. Robusta beans are commonly used, as they provide a balancing bitterness to offset the sweetness of the condensed milk. It’s been a speciality in Hanoi for decades, and get this: it supposedly tastes like tiramisu. Yes, that indulgent Italian coffee dessert involving coffee, cream, and a bells-and-whistles gym membership. The drink is easy to make (Picture: Robertson Buckhaven) Like so many of the best culinary inventions, Vietnamese egg coffee is said to have been born out of a gap in the market. What is it they say about necessity being the mother of invention? Rewind back to Hanoi in the 1940s, when fresh milk was difficult to come by. The widely accepted story is that a bartender named Nguyễn Văn Giảng, working at the Metropole Hotel, came up with an ingenious alternative. He whipped eggs into a creamy topping for coffee to work instead of milk. Imagine being the first person to suggest replacing milk with whipped egg yolk? I bet that went down well… But it did, and people loved it, to the extent that he established his own business in Hanoi, called Café Giảng. And to this day, the place is still very much linked to the drink. How do you make it? The best bit is, it doesn’t require expensive equipment or a return flight to Hanoi. All you need is an egg, strong coffee, and condensed milk. There are a couple of extras, but they are optional. Ingredients (serves one): 1 x egg yolk 2 tablespoons condensed milk 60-90ml freshly brewed coffee A few drops of vanilla extract (optional) Cocoa powder or cinnamon to finish (optional) Method: Make a small cup of strong black coffee, or draw off a double shot of espresso if you have a fancy machine. Separate the yolk from the egg white, and place the yolk in a bowl with the condensed milk. Using an electric whisk, beat for around three to five minutes, until the mixture becomes thick and fluffy. Pour the hot coffee into a cup and spoon the whipped egg mixture over the top, allowing it to float on top like delicious-tasting flotsam. Disclaimer: the egg isn’t cooked through by the hot coffee. If this is an issue, use pasteurised egg yolk. And there you have it, a coffee that operates as a dessert, but for breakfast. Are you an egg coffee fan? Sign up to Metro's The Slice newsletter for your guide to what's on in London, with trusted reviews, offers and giveaways. Does egg coffee actually taste nice? I know what you’re thinking. Surely it tastes, well, eggy? It’s a drink built on structure. Egg yolk is rich in fat and protein, and it whips into a silky, mousse-like foam when beaten with sweetened condensed milk. A splash of vanilla softens any unwanted eggy notes and rounds off the bitterness. When it’s properly whisked with condensed milk, it has a rich, custardy texture. Not a hint of scrambled egg in sight. That’s what makes it so clever: the contrast between the bitter coffee and the sweet topping makes the whole thing work. If you’re a fan of an Espresso Martini, an affogato, or tiramisu, you should definitely get cracking. And yes, that was a bad egg joke. Is it easy to make and would I do it again? Not especially. I used a milk frother (which probably needed charging), and it took me 20 minutes to approach anything like the soft, silky peaks I was after. It was a major faff, and the coffee had gone cold by the time I spooned the ‘foam’ over the top. Deals of the Day The Orlando holiday deal Disney fans shouldn't miss We're adding this discounted NEOM gift set straight to basket Want an LED face mask for less? This Black Friday deal could save you hundreds This teeth whitening sale could save you up to 64% before Black Friday These Simba Black Friday deals are too good for tired shoppers to ignore I would, however, order one in a coffee shop as the taste is pretty moreish. And in case you’re wondering, yes, it does taste like tiramisu. Do you have a story you’d like to share? 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