The Kaisermelange, in Austria, may have a similar status like the "Sound of Music" movie and soundtrack. While it is seen as typically Austrian and (more or less) well known abroad, in Austria, absolutely no one has ever heard about it.
While researching about it, I saw a lot of sites, where the Kaisermelange is praised as a typical Viennese coffee specialty. Actually, it never would come to a Viennese mind, to order a Kaisermelange in a Viennese coffeehouse, or to prepare it for guests on a Sunday afternoon.
The Kaisermelange consists of a raw egg yolk, which is whisked and mixed with honey and a double mocha (strong black coffee) and then flavored with a bit of cognac/brandy.
Since the Kaisermelange is apparently no longer served in Viennese coffeehouses by regulations (raw egg yolk and so on), it is also a bit more understandable why it is so unknown among Viennese. All of the people I've told so far about this kind of coffee specialty, have only about the raw egg yolk. (And some were also very skeptical about the honey and the cognac.)
This coffee specialty thus seems a remnant of the myth of "Old Vienna", more dead than alive. But for this post I have resurrected it and was pleasantly surprised.
Because of risk of salmonella one always should take fresh free-range organic eggs for preparation.
That's how the Kaisermelange is done
[ingredients title="Ingredients for 1 Person"]
- 1 egg yolk
- about 1 teaspoon honey
- 2cl cognac/brandy {Americans: equals 1.5 tablespoons}
- 1 large mocha (equivalent to a double espresso)
[/ingredients]
[directions title="Directions"]
- Separate the yolk from the egg white and put the yolk in a bowl
- Mix egg yolk with honey
- Stir egg yolk and honey with a mixer until it is frothy. I have used a hand mixer, but it is also possible with a whisk.
- Put the whisked egg into the coffee cup
- Pour large mocha over the whisked egg
- Flavour with the cognac
[/directions]
Although I was sceptical in the beginning, I personally found the Kaisermelange very good. Perhaps you can prepare it if you have, for example, guests from abroad, whom you want to serve something typically Viennese.
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