Hanoi Egg Coffee

Tasting a cup of egg coffee is a rather unusual experience that should be on the list of things to discover for any future visitor to the capital of Vietnam.

Why enjoy egg coffee?

“If you haven't tried egg coffee, you haven't been to Hanoi yet,” some say. The signature hot drink of the historic metropolis is called “ca phe trung” in the local language, the word “trung” meaning “egg”. This unique combination - combining local coffee, rather bitter, with egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk - will undoubtedly be one of the lasting memories of your stay in North Vietnam.

Egg coffee has a legendary past because it was invented during the war years. In Hanoi during periods of severe food shortages, particularly dairy products. To overcome these difficulties, a bartender from the legendary Hôtel Métropole, now labeled “Sofitel Legend”, had an idea. It was apparently very simple, consisting of replacing the milk in his cups of coffee, prepared for his customers, with egg yolk. His colleagues and colleagues were impressed by this discovery because it could be difficult to imagine and it was not a rudimentary ersatz. Oddly enough, the egg yolk brought a soft, creamy meringue taste to the national drink made from the tropical grain. The “ca phe trung” combined the strong flavors of coffee with those, rich and frothy, eggy. It was really original!

How ?

The way of serving and drinking the cup of “ca phe trung” is not trivial either. First of all, it is presented bathing in a bowl of hot water to keep its temperature at a sufficiently high level. Then, when we move on to tasting, we must slowly stir the whipped egg cream foam that covers the coffee liquid. The savory and sweet taste of the yolk mixes with that of milk since times of deprivation are a thing of the past; it is in harmony with the bitterness of the coffee, leaving a captivating scent.

Where to taste?

It's hard to find a better “ca phe trung” anywhere other than its place of origin, at Giang's, the bartender credited as its inventor. His establishment, now 60 years old, offers a wide variety of Vietnamese coffees that few visitors can resist!

For who ?

This drink is recommended for anyone visiting Hanoi planning to discover local specialties. They must already be aware that Vietnam is the largest coffee producing country in the world.