Vietnamese Egg Cocoa (Cacao Trứng): The Hanoi Recipe, Step by Step
In Hanoi, egg coffee gets all the attention — but the cafés that invented it also serve an egg cocoa. Café Giảng, the shop that created cà phê trứng in 1946, still lists cacao trứng on its menu today. It is the same technique: a yolk whipped with condensed milk into a warm, custardy foam, floated over something dark and hot underneath.
Cocoa is arguably the better base. Coffee fights the sweetness of the yolk cream; cocoa meets it. What you get is closer to a drinkable tiramisu than to hot chocolate.
How do you make it?
Makes: 1 cup (240 ml) · Prep: 10m · Total: 15m
Ingredients
- 2 tsp (5 g) unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) just-boiled water
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1½ tbsp (30 g) sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup (180 ml) hot whole milk, about 160°F / 70°C
- A few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
- A pinch of fine salt
Method
- Bloom the cocoa. Put the cocoa powder in a mug with the pinch of salt. Add the just-boiled water and stir hard until you have a smooth, glossy paste with no dry lumps. Skipping this is the single most common reason homemade cocoa tastes thin and chalky.
- Warm the milk. Heat the milk until steaming but not boiling — around 160°F (70°C). Pour it into the cocoa paste and stir. Keep the mug warm while you make the cream.
- Whip the yolk cream. In a small deep bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the condensed milk (and vanilla, if using) for 8–10 minutes by hand, or 3–4 minutes with an electric frother or hand mixer. Stop when the mixture has tripled in volume, turned pale, and holds a soft ribbon when you lift the whisk.
- Float the cream. Spoon the yolk cream gently over the hot cocoa so it sits as a distinct layer rather than sinking. A warm mug helps it hold its shape.
- Serve. Drink it while the cream is still warm. Traditionally it is served in a small cup resting in a bowl of hot water so the layer stays soft to the last spoonful.
What is cacao trứng?
Cacao trứng is a Vietnamese hot drink made of two layers: unsweetened cocoa at the bottom, and a thick foam of egg yolk whisked with sweetened condensed milk on top. You drink it through the foam, so each mouthful is part bitter cocoa, part sweet custard.
The drink comes from wartime Hanoi. Fresh milk was scarce in 1946, so Nguyễn Văn Giảng whipped egg yolk with condensed milk as a substitute — and the result outlived the shortage that caused it.
Why does non-alkalized cocoa work better here?
The yolk cream is rich and sweet. If the cocoa underneath is mild, the whole cup turns flat and cloying. Natural, non-alkalized cocoa keeps its natural acidity and fruit notes, and that acidity is what stops the drink from tasting like melted ice cream.
Dutch-processed (alkalized) cocoa is treated to raise its pH, which softens exactly the edge you want here. If you want the difference explained properly, see non-alkalized vs Dutch-processed cocoa and whether cocoa powder is acidic.
Which cocoa to use. This drink lives or dies on the cocoa. Ours is single-origin Vietnamese Trinitario, non-alkalized and unsweetened, with the heavy-metal and flavanol reports published on our Lab Results & Awards page. Shop on Amazon →
How do you stop it tasting eggy?
Three things cause the eggy taste, and all three are fixable:
- Under-whipping. A yolk that has only been stirred still tastes like raw yolk. Whipped until pale and tripled, it tastes like custard. This is the big one.
- Cold yolk. A fridge-cold yolk resists aerating. Let it sit out for 20 minutes first.
- Any trace of white. Egg white is where most of the sulphurous note lives. Separate carefully.
A pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla in the cream also help, the same way they do in a custard.
Is the egg yolk safe?
The yolk is not cooked. In the traditional method the heat of the cocoa underneath warms it gently, but it never reaches a temperature that would pasteurise it. In the United States, the USDA advises that people who are pregnant, very young, elderly, or immunocompromised avoid raw or undercooked eggs. Pasteurised eggs, sold in the shell at most US supermarkets, whip the same way and remove the question entirely.
Can you make it iced?
Yes, and it is a good hot-weather version. Make the cocoa base with half the milk so it is concentrated, chill it, pour over ice, then float the yolk cream on top. Whip the cream slightly stiffer than for the hot version so it does not slide straight through the ice.
Common questions
Can I use a whole egg instead of just the yolk?
No — the white will not aerate into the same custard and it is where the eggy flavour comes from. Save the white for something else.
What can I use instead of condensed milk?
Condensed milk does two jobs: sweetening and thickening. If you swap it for sugar and cream you will need to whip longer, and the foam will be looser. It works, but it is a different drink.
How much cocoa powder should I use?
Two teaspoons per cup is the balance point for most people. If you want it stronger, go to a tablespoon — but see how much cocoa powder per day before you make it a daily habit.
Where to go next
- Vietnamese salted cocoa (cacao muối) — the other Vietnamese cocoa drink worth knowing
- Choosing cocoa for hot chocolate
- Heavy metals in cocoa powder — what the numbers actually mean
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.