There are indeed some truly unique ways to make coffee. From adding nitrogen like the Americans to cheese like the Finnish, or salt like Tom Clancy and the Ethiopians, there are many absurd ingredients one can use to spice up their morning cup of joe. But one component that might unanimously invite disgust as an addition to coffee is probably egg. Adding eggs, let alone eggs along with its shell, is hardly the first thought that comes to us while preparing our daily cup, but the Swedes have mastered the art of egg coffee.
There are many benefits to adding an egg to your cup, and the result is a surprisingly soft-bodied, smooth coffee that gives you the same buzz as a latte, or an espresso. In this article, we’ll discuss the correct way to make Swedish egg coffee. Coffee culture is huge in this small Scandinavian nation, and in many ways, it is the exact opposite of what one would find in North America.
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Coffee Culture in Sweden
If there is one word that encapsulates coffee culture in Sweden, it is ‘Fika’. To take a Fika implies that one is going for a coffee break. But these breaks can last for hours and are taken multiple times a day. Sweden is one of the largest consumers of coffee in the world, with the average citizen drinking around 8-9 cups in a single day.
Fikas are taken very seriously in Sweden, where workplaces often have a constant supply of coffee for its workers, and other establishments have dedicated fika rooms to relax and rejuvenate oneself. There is even an entire town devoted to ‘the art of taking a fika.’ It is also common in the country to eat a small dessert along with your cup of coffee. This can be a pastry, a cinnamon bun, cookies, or another sweet delight.
Swedish Egg Coffee
The key reason why Swedes add an egg to their coffee is that it has a clarifying effect, absorbing many of the impurities in coffee. This takes away their bitter edge by removing tannins. Many of the more hardcore coffee drinkers even add the eggs in the mix, but this is optional.
Egg coffee has become a popular social beverage in Swedish circles due to the ease of making large batches of coffee through this method. One can make as many as ten cups in one go, with just a single egg. Due to this, it has earned the nickname of “church basement coffee.” Many Lutheran church gatherings of Scandinavians who had immigrated to the Midwest were carried out alongside this delicacy.
Learn more about different kinds of coffees around the world in different cultures by checking out “Interesting Facts About Coffee in Cultures Around the World“.
The Recipe
The things you’ll need to make this are:
- An egg
- A teaspoon of coarsely ground coffee (you can increase this depending on how many people you’re serving)
- Sugar and milk as per preference
- A saucepan or pot
- 2 cups of water, one that’s cold and one at room temperature
Step 1: Take one cup of water from your two cups and boil in a saucepan or pot
Step 2: While the water boils, crack an egg and mix with ground coffee. You can add about 1/4th cup of water to dilute the mixture. Whisk the solution appropriately.
Step 3: As the mixture turns clumpy, pour it into the boiling water. Be careful of the mixture boiling over, and reduce the heat if necessary. Eventually, the ground coffee will rise to the surface — heat for around 3-5 minutes. The more you heat it, the stronger the coffee flavor will turn out.
Step 4: Add the cup of cold water and let the solution sit for around ten minutes.
Step 5: Use a sieve or filter to separate the coffee grounds from the mixture. If you own a French Press, that can be used as well.
That’s it! Admittedly, making an egg coffee can take around twenty to thirty minutes, which is much longer than most of us spend in doing the same process. But the time spent making egg coffee perfectly complements the relaxed ‘Fika’ lifestyle of Sweden, and making an egg coffee is perhaps the easiest way to experience some Swedish culture without having to leave your home.
Thank you for reading! Let us know in the comments below how your egg recipe trial went. Be sure to tag us on Instagram posts of your daily coffee for a chance to be featured on our page.
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We’ll brew ya later! ☕️
