Buzz
Vietnamese egg coffee is a creamy, indulgent blend of coffee, sweeteners, whipped egg, and other ingredients. From the description alone, or from tasting it firsthand, you might think this rich, dessert-like drink was designed for those with a sweet tooth.
However, its creation was born out of necessity. During the First Indochina War, milk became scarce in Vietnam. In 1946, a bartender at Hanoi’s Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel created a coffee drink using beaten egg as a substitute for dairy. His name was Nguyen Van Giang, and he dubbed his creation 'cà phê trứng,' or egg coffee. According to Atlas Obscura, the drink was so successful that it led Giang to leave the hotel industry and open Café Giang to share his creation with a wider audience.
Over the years, the recipe was refined to soften the egg flavor, and the whisking process was simplified when the café began using blenders. By the 1980s, the drink had gained immense popularity, and as reported by VICE, it continued to grow in fame, eventually spreading to coffee shops worldwide. Today, Café Giang is run by Van Giang’s son, Tri Hoa, who holds no grudges against the many baristas who have put their own twist on the classic drink.
"Imitation doesn’t bother me; it’s part of the business," he shared with VICE. "Many can replicate the same product and put their unique spin on it. As for me, I trust my secret ingredient, and that’s what makes my drink stand out."
Regarding the other components, Café Giang’s website openly lists them: chicken egg yolk, Vietnamese coffee powder, sweetened condensed milk, butter, and even cheese.
