Vietnamese Egg Coffee

Step 1

Brew 1 cup of strong hot coffee using your preferred brewing method—espresso, pour-over, or instant coffee all work—and set it aside in a heat-safe mug or small bowl.

Step 2

Separate the egg yolk from the white by cracking the egg into your hand over a small bowl, letting the white run through your fingers into the bowl below, and transferring just the yellow yolk to a small clean mixing bowl.

Step 3

Add 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, 0.5 tablespoon sugar, and 0.25 teaspoon vanilla extract to the egg yolk in the bowl.

Step 4

Using a fork or small whisk, beat the egg yolk mixture vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until it transforms into a thick, pale, creamy foam that holds peaks when you lift the fork out of the bowl.

Step 5

Pour the hot coffee into a serving cup or mug, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top.

Step 6

Spoon the egg foam on top of the hot coffee, dividing it evenly between two cups if making two servings; the foam will sit on the surface like a cappuccino.

Step 7

Stir gently to blend the foam into the coffee as you drink, or sip the foam first and then drink the coffee below—both are traditional.