How to Make Vietnamese Egg Coffee Safely

Use pasteurized egg for an uncooked foam

Vietnamese egg coffee, or cà phê trứng, layers strong coffee with a thick sweet foam commonly made from egg yolk, sugar, and condensed milk. Fresh shell eggs can contain Salmonella even when the shells look clean. Because the foam is served without thorough cooking, use a shell egg labeled pasteurized or a pasteurized egg product suitable for the recipe. Hot coffee underneath does not reliably cook the foam.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's egg-safety guidance says to use pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products in recipes served raw or undercooked. It also identifies children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems as groups at greater risk of severe illness.

Set up a clean single-serving station

Wash hands, the mixer, bowl, utensils, and work surface before beginning. Keep the pasteurized egg refrigerated according to its label and separate it from dirty shells or other raw ingredients.

Prepare one serving and drink it promptly. Keep the egg product and condensed milk refrigerated until preparation, and do not hold the finished foam warm for later service.

Brew a compact strong coffee

Use the phin brewing method with a coffee and ratio that taste balanced but concentrated. A robusta-led blend or darker roast can stand up to the sweet foam, though any coffee you enjoy can work.

Preheat a sturdy cup and brew into it. Keep the coffee hot for service, but do not treat temperature as a substitute for pasteurization.

Whip the foam by texture

Combine a pasteurized yolk or suitable pasteurized egg product with sweetened condensed milk and a small measured amount of sugar if needed. Whip until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and able to fall in a slow ribbon. Ingredient behavior varies, so record masses and mixing time for the specific product.

If the foam remains thin, the bowl may be too large for the amount, the mixture may need more whipping, or the ingredient proportions may need adjustment. Do not add raw unpasteurized egg to rescue it.

Our condensed-milk guide helps reduce sweetness without losing track of the coffee.

Assemble and serve promptly

Spoon the foam onto the hot coffee and serve it immediately. Use a stable heat-safe cup, keep hot water away from the drinking rim, and carry the cup by a cool handle or on a stable tray. Do not use an improvised warm-water bath: it can spill hot water and does not establish a verified safe holding temperature for the egg-and-dairy foam.

Discard foam or beverage that has been at room temperature for more than two hours, or more than one hour when the air temperature is above 90°F (32°C), following the FDA's two-hour rule for refrigerated foods. Follow the egg-product and dairy labels. Pregnant people, young children, older adults, and immunocompromised people should avoid raw or undercooked egg entirely; choose a thoroughly cooked or egg-free drink instead.

Make the flavor readable

Taste the black coffee, a spoon of foam, and the combined drink. If sweetness dominates, reduce condensed milk or sugar next time. If egg aroma dominates, check ingredient freshness, cleanliness, and proportions; do not hide a questionable smell under more coffee.

Use the coffee tasting guide to record body, roast, sweetness, and finish. If the pasteurization status or storage history of the egg product cannot be verified, do not use it in an uncooked foam.

Brewing guidance is educational; ingredient labels, allergies, caffeine sensitivity, and food-safety needs vary. Use pasteurized eggs for uncooked egg drinks and consult an appropriate health professional about individual dietary concerns.

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