It's that time of year again — the cartons of eggnog are back on the shelves at your local grocery store and eggnog drinks are showing up on menus at restaurants, Christmas get togethers and holiday parties. If you've never had the holiday drink before, you might be wondering...what does eggnog taste like?
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Despite the name, the taste of eggnog isn't very eggy. That might be because the main ingredient isn't just whipped egg white, it's actually whole milk or cream.
The reality is, the best eggnog actually tastes quite a bit like melted ice cream. It's almost like drinking a milkshake, albeit one that pops up most often during the holiday season in the United States. In that case, is it any wonder why so many people love to drink eggnog?
What Are The Ingredients Of Eggnog?
A good glass of eggnog can have sweeteners like sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the eggnog recipe, too. There are even coffee shops that will happily make an eggnog latte for you!
And much like vanilla ice cream, the flavor of eggnog pairs well with lots of other ingredients to suit your tastes, too. A lot of people prefer to add whipped cream and flavorings like cinnamon on top, for instance.
Personally, I didn't much enjoy the flavor profile of eggnog until I had alcoholic eggnog (as an adult of legal drinking age, of course). It can be made with rum, a brandy such as cognac, or bourbon. I've also seen some recipes that call for adding Southern Comfort, and the brand even has eggnog you can purchase when you're out buying groceries!
Or, instead of buying store-bought eggnog, you can make homemade eggnog. There are plenty of recipes out there to make traditional eggnog all on your own — just be careful to follow the instructions carefully when it comes to using eggs and egg yolks, in order to avoid any risk of Salmonella.
If you've somehow made it this far in life without trying eggnog, give it a chance! The flavor may surprise you.
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This post was originally published on December 18, 2020.
