Singapore Students Invent Egg Roll-Flavored Latte

Remember the buttery, vanilla-like aroma of childhood egg rolls? A group of food science students in Singapore have managed to capture that exact scent — and infuse it into a milk coffee. Their creation isn’t just a novelty drink; it’s part of a larger project exploring how regional flavors can transform modern coffee culture.

The answer is Love Letter Latte: a milk coffee with the nostalgic aroma of egg rolls, developed over three months by four Singapore Polytechnic students. It’s officially named after the English term for egg rolls, 'Love Letter,' and is designed to evoke Southeast Asian tastes using specialty coffee techniques.

What Is the Love Letter Latte?

Created by 20-year-old Zhang Jinxiong and three classmates at Singapore Polytechnic, the Love Letter Latte is a milk coffee with the distinct scent of egg rolls — a common snack from their childhood. The students spent nearly three months perfecting the formulation to bring out that familiar, comforting aroma in a cup. The drink is part of their final-year project under the Food Science and Technology diploma program, representing a fusion of local nostalgia and modern specialty coffee culture.

A Broader Project: 11 New ASEAN-Inspired Food and Coffee Products

This egg roll coffee is just one of 11 new food and beverage products developed by the same cohort. Alongside the Love Letter Latte, 11 other third-year students spent around six months creating three custom coffee blends, macarons with ASEAN-inspired flavors, and foods specifically matched to complement black coffee. The coffee blends were named Fandango, Kaffeol, and Sing Kaffel. Each was paired with specially developed desserts — including ones with sesame and chocolate-orange flavors — to enhance the drinking experience.

How They Developed the Flavor and What It Pairs With

The students didn’t just focus on the coffee’s taste — they explored food pairings too. Through research and experimentation, they found that traditional items like youtiao (Chinese fried dough), kuih lapis (nine-layer cake), and cheesecake are among the best matches for black coffee. For the Love Letter Latte, the nostalgic aroma of egg rolls is the key sensory element, recreating a sense of comfort through smell and taste. The drink uses specialty coffee brewing methods to maintain balance while highlighting the unique flavor twist.

The Role of Singapore’s Coffee School and KaffeeKultur

The project took place under the guidance of Singapore Polytechnic’s Coffee School, operated by local coffee company KaffeeKultur. The school provided training, equipment, and materials essential for the students’ research. KaffeeKultur also supported the development of both the Love Letter Latte and the three coffee blends. According to Chen Guoqiang, chairman of KaffeeKultur, these products — including the Love Letter Latte, the three blends, and the ASEAN-flavored macarons — will be launched in the third week of next month at the Coffee School, available to students and the public. There are also plans to sell the Love Letter Latte in a Biopolis café before Lunar New Year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Love Letter Latte?

The Love Letter Latte is a milk coffee with the aroma of egg rolls, created by Singapore Polytechnic students. 'Love Letter' is the English name for egg rolls, and the drink was designed to bring back nostalgic scents from childhood using specialty coffee methods.

How did the students create the egg roll flavor in coffee?

The students spent nearly three months researching and testing flavor profiles to recreate the nostalgic scent of egg rolls in a milk coffee. The exact method involves blending coffee with specific aromatics to evoke the familiar buttery, vanilla-like notes of childhood egg rolls without using artificial flavoring.

What other products did the students develop?

In addition to the Love Letter Latte, the students created three coffee blends (Fandango, Kaffeol, and Sing Kaffel), ASEAN-flavored macarons (with sesame and chocolate-orange profiles), and identified ideal food pairings for black coffee such as youtiao, nine-layer cake, and cheesecake.

Where can I try the Love Letter Latte?

The Love Letter Latte will be launched at Singapore Polytechnic’s Coffee School in the third week of the upcoming month. It will be available to students and the public, with plans for a pop-up at a Biopolis café before Lunar New Year.

What desserts pair with the new coffee blends?

The students developed macarons with sesame and chocolate-orange flavors to pair with the three coffee blends (Fandango, Kaffeol, and Sing Kaffel). These desserts were specifically designed to complement the flavor profiles of the specialty brews.

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