Vietnamese Egg coffee (ca phe trung) was invented in 1946 to compensate for a shortage of milk during the French War. At the time, Nguyen Van Giang was a bartender at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel. He decided to experiment with using chicken egg yolk instead of milk when making coffee. It turned out that customers loved his creation so much he decided to leave the hotel and open his own café – Giang Café, which is still going strong in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. By the 1950s egg coffee’s popularity had spread to most Hanoi and Saigon cafes. Fast forward to today’s coffee scene where it still top of the list, much loved by Vietnamese and tourists alike.
The original recipe perfected by Giang uses beaten egg yolk, phin drip-style filter Vietnamese coffee, condensed milk, butter and even cheese. The cup sits in a bowl of hot water to maintain the temperature. Nowadays there are many versions on the original recipe including the addition of different ingredients such as chocolate etc. and slightly different ways of preparing and serving this beverage.
The Temple’s egg coffee is an enhanced version of the original. We use organic Cavalry roasted coffee grown in the Central Highlands. This has a rich strong taste and pure aroma, a perfect complement to the creamy egg base made with egg yolk, condensed milk, vanilla syrup and lemon peel. Another touch is we keep the coffee hot by placing the cup over an elegant candle warmer. Enjoying egg coffee at The Temple is more than just drinking Vietnam’s 70-year old iconic beverage. It is an artistic presentation stimulating the senses of sight, taste and smell.
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