History of egg cream
The egg cream is a New York soda fountain drink made from milk, seltzer and chocolate syrup. It contains no eggs and no cream. It is most closely tied to Brooklyn and Jewish immigrant candy stores, but who invented it and where the name comes from are both disputed, so treat any single origin story as folklore.
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In this article
What is an egg cream?
An egg cream is a fizzy chocolate drink made from just three things: cold milk, chocolate syrup (sometimes vanilla) and seltzer. Despite the name, it has no egg and no cream. It is a New York classic, especially associated with Brooklyn candy stores and soda fountains.
Who invented the egg cream?
Nobody knows for certain. Three stories come up most often:
- Brooklyn candy store: Louis Auster, a Jewish immigrant who ran a candy shop in Brooklyn, is credited with first making one around the turn of the 20th century, using his own chocolate syrup. It is the best-known story, but it is not firmly documented.
- Lower East Side: The sociologist Daniel Bell told New York Magazine that his uncle Hymie invented the drink in the 1920s. That version reportedly used syrup, cream, real eggs and seltzer. Cream and eggs are said to have been dropped because they became scarce and expensive in the Great Depression.
- 1880s theater tale: A Yiddish theater actor is said to have asked for a Parisian drink called “chocolate et creme”, which a soda jerk misheard as “chocolate egg cream“. This is the least certain of the three.
Where does the name come from?
There is no agreed answer. Two theories come up: the Yiddish phrase “echt keem” (roughly, pure sweetness) and the misheard French order above.
What makes a classic Brooklyn egg cream?
Purists insist on a few things:
- Very cold seltzer, ideally from a soda siphon
- Whole milk
- Fox’s U-Bet, a Brooklyn-made chocolate syrup that purists insist on
- Fast stirring so a white foam forms on top, then drinking it right away
Quick facts
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Milk, seltzer, chocolate or vanilla syrup |
| Eggs or cream | None in the modern drink |
| Associated with | Brooklyn and the Lower East Side, New York |
| Origin | Disputed; stories range from the 1880s to the 1920s |
Common mistakes
Using flat seltzer or letting the drink stand loses the foam. Because the stories conflict, avoid repeating one version as fact.
People also ask
Does an egg cream contain eggs?
No. The classic drink is only milk, seltzer and chocolate syrup. One origin story says the earliest version had real eggs and cream, but those were dropped.
Who invented the egg cream?
It is disputed. Brooklyn candy store owner Louis Auster is the best-known claim, but other accounts name a Lower East Side uncle or a misheard French order.
Why is it called an egg cream?
Unknown. Theories include the Yiddish "echt keem" (pure sweetness) or a misheard "chocolate et creme".
Sources
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