Wikipedia tells us the origins, etymology, and the ingredients used to make original eggnog drinks are debated. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, nog was "a kind of strong beer brewed in East Anglia ". The first known use of the word "nog" was in 1693. Alternatively, nog may stem from Noggin Cup, a Middle English term for a small, carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol. However, the British drink was also called an Egg Flip, from the practice of "flipping" (rapidly pouring) the mixture between two pitchers to mix it. One dictionary lists the word "eggnog" as being an Americanism invented in 1765–75. But there are many backstories to eggnog.
The basic recipe is milk or cream, sugar, raw eggs, possibly one or more alcoholic spirits, and spices, typically vanilla or nutmeg and possibly cloves. Some homemade eggnog recipes have historically included raw eggs. While the alcohol added to many homemade eggnogs can be a bactericide, eggnog freshly made from raw eggs can be infected with salmonella and cause serious illness. Using commercially pasteurized eggs or heating the milk-egg mixture sufficiently can make the drink safe; one recipe calls for heating the mixture gently, without boiling, until it thickens enough to "coat the back of a spoon." As Canada is a bilingual country, we have to consider the translation of “eggnog”. As the French side of the carton reads “lait de poule” which translates in English to “chicken milk.”
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