What Is An Egg Drop Sandwich And What's It Made Of?
Breakfast food is almost impossible not to enjoy. There's something for everyone: breakfast meats for carnivores, eggs for vegetarians, and even just toast with a vegan spread, if you don't eat animal products at all. True breakfast experts will know that one of the best ways to consume all of these breakfast components at once is through a breakfast sandwich, a convenient way to have your breakfast on the go without sacrificing in the way of flavor.
While plenty of cultures around the world offer mouth-watering breakfast sandwiches, South Korea's game might rank above everyone else's. There, you can buy a breakfast concoction called an egg drop sandwich (named after the brand that popularized the sandwich), and honestly, it puts anything offered by Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, or McDonald's to shame. It's not even a particularly complicated sandwich: just fluffy eggs (this is key), a unique yet easy-to-make sauce, some cheese, and a pork product between two pieces of thick-cut egg bread (like brioche). None of these ingredients are particularly exotic or complex, but the egg drop sandwich brings together a perfect harmony of simple ingredients to create a delectable breakfast meal.
None of the ingredients in an egg drop sandwich are rare or unusual
If you hear the words "egg drop," chances are you're probably thinking about the Chinese soup of the same name. However, this sandwich attained popularity thanks to a Korean franchise called EGGDROP. They serve plenty of other drool-worthy items, but their signature is the egg drop sandwich that we're talking about here. The best part is that this sandwich is simple enough that you can make it at home, yet complex enough that it definitely won't bore you.
The components you'll need are pretty simple — it's all about how you put them together. Start with the bread: You'll need a thick, eggy bread with a light, airy texture, which is why the official version uses brioche. Second, you'll need some sort of cheese, and while you can use pretty much any kind you want, the most common choices seem to be cheddar or American cheese (which are great because of how they melt with the rest of the ingredients). Third, adding a meat or meat alternative will amp the game up here — sausage, ham, bacon, or whatever kind you pick will pair well with the eggs.
As the name might indicate, the real star of the show here is going to be the eggs and the sauce, which is where you might take familiar ingredients and head in a slightly different direction with them. The preparation of the eggs is where you need to take special care.
The eggs have to be cooked a certain way
First, when scrambling the eggs, the whole point is that they turn out fluffy, so it's best to make them with this purpose in mind. You can add milk to the mixture, along with a pinch of both salt and sugar; this will give the eggs that signature fluffy, creamy texture. Or, you could try adding baking powder to increase the fluffiness of your eggs. You also want to be sure not to overcook them — though plenty of people prefer fully-cooked scrambled eggs on a breakfast plate, the soft texture of fluffier eggs contrasted against the more solid components in the sandwich is a large part of what makes it work.
The sauce is equally as important. The sandwich features a mayonnaise-based sauce combined with an ingredient you might not expect: sweetened condensed milk. The ratio here is 2:1 in favor of mayo. If you'd like, you can add a spicy component to the mix, like hot sauce or Sriracha.
There's real thought packed into this sandwich, from the specific egg preparation (no processed egg-like substances here) and the unique sauce to the choice of using thick, pillowy bread. We can only hope the Korean brand starts expanding internationally — until then, experiment with this formula to create your perfect egg drop sandwich at home.