An egg cream is a sweet dessert beverage that surprisingly does not contain any eggs or cream. The term “cream” in its name originates from a more luxurious version of the drink that did include cream in its recipe. As for the “egg” part, the roots of this beverage can be traced back to the Ashekenazi Jewish community in New York City. One theory suggests that “egg” may be a corruption of the Yiddish word echt, which means “genuine” or “good”. This could potentially stem from the German word echt, meaning “real”, which has its origins in Proto-Germanic aiwaz (“long time”) and Proto-Indo-European hoyu. Another theory speculates that the name may have been inspired by a drink that did originally contain egg yolks, although both explanations remain unconfirmed. Despite the uncertainty surrounding its etymology, the term “egg cream” gained popularity after its first appearance in 1841, with literary references peaking in 2004.
