Chapter 277: My coffee vocabulary

When I was young a cup of coffee meant a spoon of instant coffee followed by two questions. Milk? Sugar?

 

Now that I have grown old my coffee vocabulary has increased. Words on the periphery are ristretto, macchiato, chai latte, affogato, mocha, piccolo, Vienna, Irish coffee and deconstructed coffee.

 

In Hobart the basic words are cappuccino, flat white and latte. Every café uses these names and makes their coffee differently.  

 

The differences are in the amount of froth; the amount and type of milk; the amount and strength of coffee; the type of cup; the service.

 

There is no agreement on what cappuccino, flat white and latte are but one opinion is:

 

Latte: a double shot of espresso; 170-225 ml of steamed milk; 1cm of foam; served in a glass.

 

Cappuccino:  A latte with less milk and more foam.

A double shot of espresso; 150-180 ml of steamed milk; 1.5 cm of foam; served in a cup; foam dusted with chocolate.

 

Foam is the tiny bubbles created when steaming and heating the milk.  Foam should taste nice. It should be smooth and creamy.  I don’t know why adding bubbles of air to something makes it taste nicer. It doesn’t alter the flavour. I see froth as air in which will eventually become air out.

 

Flat white: A latte with less milk and no foam.

A double shot of espresso; 110 steamed milk; served in a cup. 

 

Flat white is Australia’s contribution to the global coffee culture. It originated in Australia in the early 1980s as an alternative to the frothier cappuccino.  I don’t know why the flat white originated in Australia or what is uniquely Australian about it.  In New Zealand they behave refreshingly typical.  They say the flat white began in New Zealand and you Aussies claimed it as your creation.