Buzz
Egg as a coffee ingredient might seem unfamiliar, but it has a long history of use. Image courtesy of TastemadeOrder Vietnamese egg coffee, cà phê trứng, in Hanoi, and you'll enjoy a coffee that's smooth and custard-like, made with egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, and coffee. In contrast, if you try Norske egg kaffe, a Norwegian egg coffee (also known as Scandinavian egg coffee), there’s no custard in sight — nor any detectable egg flavor. The egg here isn't part of the drink; instead, it serves as a filter and clarifying agent during brewing.
Scandinavian countries lead the world in coffee consumption. For instance, the average Norwegian consumes about 22 pounds (10 kilograms) of coffee beans each year, consistently placing Norway among the world’s top three coffee-drinking countries. A nation that brews nearly 10 times more coffee than the rest of the world surely has some expertise in the art of coffee, wouldn’t you agree?
Today, many people living in Scandinavian countries may not be familiar with the method for brewing egg coffee. However, the technique persists in other regions, sometimes referred to as “church basement coffee” at potlucks in Lutheran communities in the American Midwest, or among outdoor enthusiasts who may know it as cowboy or camp coffee.
Making egg coffee only requires three simple ingredients:
- Water
- Coarsely ground coffee
- 1 whole raw egg (with or without the shell)
Instructions:
- Boil 1 cup of water for every cup of coffee you want to make. For example, to brew 3 cups of coffee, boil 3 cups of water.
- Use 1 tablespoon of coarsely ground coffee for every cup of boiling water.
- Combine the coffee grounds, egg, and 3 tablespoons of cold water into a paste.
- Add the coffee-egg paste to the boiling water, stir well, and lower the heat.
- Let it simmer for 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Pour in 1 cup of cold water. The coffee grounds will bind with the egg and sink to the bottom.
- Strain or ladle the liquid into individual cups or a large container.
Though it might seem like an unusual mix, this method works because as the coffee grounds and egg cook in the water, the egg acts as a clarifying agent, binding with the grounds. Fining agents like gelatin, isinglass, and casein are commonly used in wine clarification; similarly, egg whites (albumen) are a natural fining agent for coffee.
In this method, the egg takes the place of the usual paper or metal filter. As coffee grounds and egg particles combine in a process called flocculation, the resulting clumps, known as “floc,” float to the surface. When cold water is added at the end of brewing, the floc acts as a fine filter. As the clumps and larger particles of coffee grounds and egg sink, they clarify the liquid, gathering up any remaining colloidal particles that would usually settle at the bottom of the cup.
What remains after the floc has settled is a clear, amber-hued coffee that is, at least for its fans, less bitter than regular filtered coffee. When strained or ladled to avoid the grounds, it leaves only a small amount of sediment at the bottom of the cup.
Skål!
In Norwegian, “kaffe” means coffee; “kaldt vann” means cold water; and “egg” means, well, egg.
