Coffee Drink
Kopi Talua: Minangkabau Egg Coffee and a Home Recipe
Kopi talua combines coffee with sweetened whisked egg yolk for a rich body and soft froth. This home recipe uses plain pasteurized yolk, with the coffee mixed through it, and is served immediately.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- 60 mg estimate150 g generic prepared brewed coffeeBased on the prepared brewed-coffee portion; see the serving calculation below.
- Calories
- 105 kcal estimatePlain yolk, sugar and brewed coffeePlain pasteurized-yolk products can differ; check the label.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 small coffee: 150 g (5.3 oz) brewed coffee + 17 g (0.6 oz) yolk + 12 g (1 US tbsp) sugar
- Made with
- Brewed coffee, pasteurized egg yolk and sugar
- Sugar
- 12.1 g total (estimated). Almost all comes from the 12 g (1 US tbsp) granulated sugar. Milk variations change the total.
- Preparation
- About 10 minutes with coffee ready
Estimates use USDA ingredient records. Contains egg; this version has no added dairy. Use plain pasteurized yolk without added sugar or salt. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- Whisk the yolk mixture until pale and airy for a softer drink; simply stirring in yolk gives a heavier result.
- Try the yolk-and-sugar version before adding condensed milk, which brings another layer of sweetness and dairy richness.
- Use pasteurized yolk, whisk it with sugar until airy and add ground-free coffee slowly.
On This Page9 Sections
What Is Kopi Talua?
Kopi talua is associated with the Minangkabau region of West Sumatra, including Padang. Talua means egg in Minangkabau: sweetened, whisked yolk gives the coffee its distinctive richness and froth. In Indonesian, you may also see the broader name kopi telur.
The yolk is mixed with coffee in this home recipe, rather than kept as the separate spoonable topping used in our Vietnamese egg coffee. Condensed milk and spice are optional variations, explored below.
What Does Kopi Talua Taste Like?
Kopi talua has a sweet, rounded body from the yolk, with a soft frothy surface and coffee running through the whole drink. It can suggest a light custard, but the roasted bitterness should still be easy to find. The finish is fuller and more coating than plain black coffee.
I prefer the version without condensed milk because the yolk already supplies the creamy body I want, leaving more room for the coffee.
Kopi Talua Recipe
Recipe
Kopi Talua with Pasteurized Egg Yolk
- Makes:
- 1 small coffee
- Time:
- About 10 minutes with coffee ready
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) hot prepared brewed coffee, without loose grounds
- 17 g (0.6 oz) plain pasteurized egg yolk
- 12 g (1 US tbsp) granulated sugar
Equipment
- Scale
- Narrow mixing bowl
- Whisk or hand mixer
- Spoon
- 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz) heatproof glass
Method
- Prepare the ingredients. Brew the coffee and weigh 150 g (5.3 oz) of the finished liquid. Warm a 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz) heatproof glass. Weigh 17 g (0.6 oz) plain pasteurized egg yolk and 12 g (1 US tbsp) granulated sugar into a narrow mixing bowl.
- Whisk the yolk and sugar. Use a hand mixer or whisk until paler, thicker and airy, with the sugar mostly dissolved. Allow about 5–10 minutes by hand; texture matters more than the clock.
- Add the coffee. Pour the hot coffee slowly into the yolk mixture while stirring gently. Transfer to the warmed glass, keeping the foam, and serve immediately.
Estimated nutrition: 105 kcal · 12.1 g total sugar. Per coffee, using pasteurized yolk and the stated sugar.
A pour-over gives a straightforward, ground-free coffee base. Brew a little more than needed, then weigh the finished portion: 150 g (5.3 oz) is collected coffee, not water poured onto grounds.
If using kopi tubruk, let the grounds settle and carefully decant the liquid first. Plain instant coffee prepared according to its label is another option; a sweetened 3-in-1 sachet changes the ingredients and nutrition.
Fixing Kopi Talua Foam
| What you notice | What to change next time |
|---|---|
| Little foam | Whisk the yolk and sugar before adding coffee. A narrow bowl helps the whisk reach a small portion. |
| Grainy sweetness | Give the yolk and sugar more whisking time; avoid rushing straight to the coffee. |
| Foam collapses quickly | Add coffee in a slow stream and stir gently. Serve straight away to enjoy the foam. |
| Too sweet | Reduce the sugar in a later serving. This also changes how the yolk mixture whips. |
| Coffee tastes faint | Use a more concentrated prepared brew, rather than adding extra water or expecting yolk to increase coffee strength. |
Do not use foam thickness, a lack of egg aroma or the temperature of the coffee as proof that an unpasteurized egg has been made safe.
Milk, Spice and Similar Egg Drinks
Condensed milk is an optional variation. It adds both milk and sugar.
If you add it, reduce the granulated sugar to taste and use its label to recalculate the serving. A little cinnamon changes the aroma without turning the drink into a different brewing method.
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| Drink | Base and preparation | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Kopi talua | Coffee combined with whisked yolk; sugar, milk and spice vary | This recipe gently mixes the coffee into the yolk mixture |
| Vietnamese egg coffee | Coffee served with a sweet whipped yolk topping, commonly with condensed milk | Our Vietnamese egg coffee recipe keeps a spoonable topping over the coffee |
| Teh talua | An egg drink made with tea | A related Minangkabau drink, but not a coffee alias |
Kopi talua also differs from Swedish egg coffee, where egg is used during brewing with the grounds. That method does not make the same sweet whipped-yolk drink.
Kopi Talua: Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
For 150 g (5.3 oz) brewed coffee, 17 g (0.6 oz) plain pasteurized yolk and 12 g (1 US tbsp) sugar, one serving has an estimated 105 kcal, 12.1 g total sugar and 60 mg caffeine. It contains egg. This version has no added dairy; the condensed-milk variation does.
Serving calculation and ingredient sources
The USDA SR28 records used here are fresh yolk (NDB 01125), granulated sugar (19335) and prepared brewed coffee (14209). Per 100 g, their energy values are 322, 387 and 1 kcal. For 17 g yolk, 12 g sugar and 150 g coffee, that gives 54.74 + 46.44 + 1.5 = 102.68 kcal, rounded to 105.
The yolk and sugar entries contain 0.56 g and 99.8 g total sugar per 100 g: this serving gives 12.07 g, rounded to 12.1 g. The generic coffee entry has 40 mg caffeine per 100 g, giving 60 mg for the selected portion. Caffeine changes with the beans and brewing.
The fresh-yolk record is a composition reference for plain pasteurized yolk, not advice to use an unpasteurized egg. A sweetened or salted commercial yolk product is a different ingredient. The nutrition and caffeine figures are ingredient estimates.
Questions Before Making Kopi Talua
Can I Make It Without Condensed Milk?
Yes. The main recipe uses yolk and granulated sugar; condensed milk appears in other documented versions. Leaving it out here is intentional.
Can I Use a Whole Egg?
This recipe uses yolk only. Adding the white changes both texture and ingredient quantities. A whole egg is not a direct replacement for 17 g (0.6 oz) yolk.
Does It Need an Espresso Machine?
No. Use 150 g (5.3 oz) prepared pour-over coffee, or carefully decant that amount from settled kopi tubruk, leaving the grounds behind. Use 17 g (0.6 oz) plain pasteurized yolk and 12 g (1 US tbsp) granulated sugar. A 150 g espresso portion would make a much more concentrated coffee base with different caffeine.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Make one serving when you are ready to drink it. The foam settles, and the recipe is intended for immediate service. Keep the pasteurized yolk refrigerated and follow the product's storage directions.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
View 7 references
Identity and preparation
- Kopi taluaNESCAFÉ Indonesia · Yolk-and-sugar preparation and West Sumatran context(opens in a new tab)
- Kopi, A Cup of GreatnessPDFIndonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Printed page 90 documents a Padang variation with condensed milk and cinnamon. Its hot-coffee cooking claim is not used as egg-safety guidance(opens in a new tab)
- Teh taluaWest Sumatra Cultural Values Preservation Office · Distinguishes the tea-based Minangkabau egg drink(opens in a new tab)
Serving estimates
- Fresh yolk, NDB 01125PDFUSDA Standard Reference · 322 kcal and 0.56 g sugar per 100 g; composition proxy for plain pasteurized yolk(opens in a new tab)
- Granulated sugar, NDB 19335PDFUSDA Standard Reference · 387 kcal and 99.8 g sugar per 100 g(opens in a new tab)
- Prepared brewed coffee, NDB 14209PDFUSDA Standard Reference · 1 kcal and 40 mg caffeine per 100 g for the brewed-coffee estimate(opens in a new tab)