Egg coffee

I was looking forward to trying the traditional Vietnamese coffee. A strong and thick java over condensed milk. It did not disappoint; it was very strong and flavourful. But as a lactose-intolerant coffee aficionada, I was blown away by another traditional beverage: egg coffee. That was our last stop at the Hanoi foodie tour, one of the oldest cafés in the city, Ba Dinh, where apparently this coffee was invented. I ordered it (you have to at its birthplace!), and with the first sip I thought I died and went to heaven. Instead of cream or milk, this coffee is served with sweet egg yolk beaten into a foam. The texture and the flavour are incredible. In Southeast Asia, dairy products are not very common. It was the French who brought it to Vietnam. After Vietnam won its independence, milk was scarce in the 1940’s, so this coffee was invented, substituting egg yolk for milk. Heavenly. I tried it in many different cafés, and everyone has their own recipe, but Ba Dinh wins hands down with its creamy, thick, and artistic design.