There are many ways to prepare coffee in the world, but there's one that's probably the strangest you can imagine: it's called Scandinavian egg coffee, and yes, it is actually coffee made with eggs, shells included. It's an ancient preparation made by Scandinavian people to obtain a clear, tasty drink: let's find out how it's made.
Where Does Scandinavian Egg Coffee Come From?
As the name suggests, this is a coffee created by Scandinavian peoples —primarily Norwegians and Swedes—who emigrated to the American Midwest around the 19th and 20th centuries, and was served primarily at religious events in Lutheran communities. The method of making it is simple and even a little ingenious: an egg is mixed with ground coffee and a little water until it forms a soil-like mixture, which is then poured into a saucepan with hot water and brought to a boil. The mixture is then poured into a coffee pot and poured over with cold water: this process helps the mixture settle to the bottom, resulting in a clear, velvety drink.
Why Use an Egg in Coffee?
Probably because this method served the same purpose as a filter: the proteins contained within the egg, such as ovalbumin and ovotransferrin, help to trap all the impurities and bring them to the bottom, but they also serve to clarify the liquid, thus producing a drink with a more delicate flavor and clear appearance. Not only that, they also seem to improve its flavor: the calcium carbonate contained in the shell helps reduce the bitterness and acidity typical of coffee, making it smoother and less harsh, thus managing to improve (at least in flavor) even a low-quality coffee.
Finally, although some sources also report an increased effect of caffeine – precisely due to the combination of egg and coffee – there are, in reality, no studies that confirm this hypothesis.
Scandinavian Egg Coffee Today
It's easy to imagine that today, with the advent of electronic coffee machines and especially the widespread use of filter coffee, the method of preparing Scandinavian egg coffee seems a bit archaic. However, there are still those who prepare and appreciate it: in fact, in Minnesota, there's even a festival, the Minnesota State Fair, held between late August and early September, where hundreds of cups of this curious beverage are still served today.
There's a paradox surrounding this coffee, however: despite its name, in Scandinavian countries today, almost no one knows about it. In fact, it seems that Northern Europeans have never even heard of it, and thus this tradition has survived only in a few American states.
;Resize,width=767;)
