From free-range butter to cocoa and condensed milk to salt, it seems like you can put anything in coffee these days. However, I recently came across an ingredient that I couldn’t imagine dumping into my daily cup of coffee.
Eggs.
Gross, right?
I stumbled across Vietnamese Egg Coffee when planning my upcoming trip to Vietnam. It looks like a much more indulgent coffee dessert drink than a morning pick-me-up. I’ll definitely try it and report back, but still, the idea of putting a raw egg in my coffee is strange to me.
Upon additional research, Vietnam is not the only country that integrates their eggs and coffee.
Austria has its own version called Kaisermelange, which directly translates to “The Emperor’s Melange,” which is made up of strong black coffee, an egg yolk, and honey (a traditional melange is made up of a mix of frothed milk and steamed coffee).
Furthermore, there is Scandinavian Egg Coffee - also called Swedish Egg Coffee or Norwegian Egg Coffee - where coffee grounds are mixed with either egg shells to make a paste, and dropped into boiling water and strained.
There are several reasons why the addition of eggs to coffee can be beneficial.
Eggs are a great natural emulsifier - they are often used in recipes to bind ingredients that don’t naturally want to mix together (like in mayonnaise with vinegar and oil). When blended with coffee - and any other ingredients you may be adding in - eggs create a smooth and creamy treat.
Eggs are also extremely nutrient-dense. Authority Nutrition states that out of your Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), just one egg contains:
- 22% of Selenium
- 15% of Vitamin B2
- 9% of Vitamin B12 and Phosphorus
- 7% of Vitamin B5
- 6% of Vitamin A
- 5% of Folate
Eggs also contain helpful amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Zinc. Along with all of these important vitamins and minerals, eating eggs increases your High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), a.k.a. your good cholesterol.
By adding full eggs or egg yolks to a cup of coffee, it transforms the antioxidant rich drink into a filling and healthy meal. Another good-for-you and substantial form of coffee is the Eat Your Coffee Bar, for anyone who is still freaked out by the whole coffee-egg scenario or for any vegans out there.
Egg shells are mostly made of calcium carbonate, which is a basic salt. Mixing crushed egg shells with coffee grounds produces less acidic coffee because the basic egg shells balance out the acidic beans, resulting in a less bitter brew.
The shells also make the coffee grounds flocculate (clump together and sink) so serving the coffee is much easier.
Ready to try adding some egg to your coffee? Here are a few “eggcellent” recipes we found.
Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Courtesy of and full recipe at My Kitchen Affair
- Brewed Vietnamese coffee
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp sweetened condensed milk
Image courtesy of My Kitchen Affair.
Scandinavian Egg Coffee
Courtesy of and full recipe at I Need Coffee
- 1 fresh egg
- 1 to 1 ½ tbs of your preferred coffee, coarsely ground (similar to what you would use for a french press)
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of ice cold water (yes, that’s a total of 2 cups of water)
- Sugar and milk to taste
- Saucepan
Image courtesy of INeedCoffee.com
