Egg cream is a drink invented in the 19th century by Louis Auster, which contains seltzer water, chocolate syrup, and milk. Despite its name, it does not contain egg or cream. The frothy top of the drink is similar to whipped egg whites, but the name’s origin is debated. It is a popular drink in New York, especially in Jewish delicatessens, and is a popular Passover drink. It is easy to make at home, and the preferred chocolate syrup is Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Flavor Syrup.
Egg cream has an unusual name, mainly because it doesn’t contain cream or egg. It is a drink invented by Louis Auster in the 19th century. Auster owned a candy store in Brooklyn, which featured a soda shop. In addition to serving traditional sodas, Auster made egg custard, a concoction of seltzer water, chocolate syrup, and milk.
In taste an egg custard is somewhat similar to an ice cream soda. Some have called it the poor man’s soda, because it usually costs little more than a regular soda. The top of the drink is very frothy and looks like an ice cream soda without the traditional scoop of ice cream. Some people compare the frothy top of the drink to whipped egg whites, implying that the foam on top suggested the name.
In fact, there is some debate as to how a drink that doesn’t contain egg or cream was called an “egg custard.” Several explanations emerge, such as the one offered by Louis Auster’s nephew. The word “egg” in the name may be a corruption of the Yiddish word echt, which means real or true. The egg cream thus becomes “genuine cream”.
From the Brooklyn candy store Auster, news of this delicious drink spread. It is now quite common to find egg custards in New York restaurants and especially Jewish delicatessens. Most major cities will have a few soda or specialty shops offering egg custard, but if you live far from New York City, you may have a hard time finding the drink. A couple of attempts have been made to bottle the egg custard, but have mostly failed, since the frothy top of the drink is hard to replicate in a bottle. Also, a brown top is often considered an egg custard disaster, and making the drink in a bottle without mixing the ingredients too much is difficult.
For egg custard lovers far from their favorite tipple, this actually poses little problem. Egg custard is easily made at home, although recipes and preferences differ. Many people suggest that the only acceptable chocolate syrup for an egg custard is Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Flavor Syrup.
Some chocolate syrups are made to kosher standards, making them permissible during Passover for practicing Jews observing strict dietary laws. Egg custard is a popular Passover drink, but for the drink to be acceptable at Passover, the syrup must be made with sugar and not corn syrup. U-Bet is one of the few chocolate syrups on the market to make a Passover-approved Kosher syrup, although the Manischewitz brand may be easier to find on the West Coast.
While there are many versions of the recipe, most insist on using seltzer water over soda water, since seltzer contains no salt. The recipes also advise avoiding mineral water brands such as Perrier. A simple recipe uses 12-inch frosted glasses. Pour about an inch of chocolate syrup into the bottom of the glass and add another inch of whole milk. Add about 6-8 ounces (.17-.23 liters) of seltzer, until a head forms at the top of the glass. You can stir the bottoms lightly, although some like to drink through the layers of the egg custard.
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