Why is it called cappuccino, and how does flat white compare?

The flat white was first recorded in Sydney, Australia, in the 1980s. Around 1989 at Café Bodega, a barista making a cappuccino produced too little milk foam, so the drink fell between a cappuccino and a latte. It was named flat white for its smooth, thin foam layer, and customers liked that the coffee flavor stayed clear.

Starbucks began promoting the flat white in 2010 and carried it to a global audience. The drink uses a ristretto-style shot with dense, fine-textured milk foam, which makes it richer than a latte yet more delicate than a cappuccino. In China many cafes call it ao bai coffee, a transliteration of the English name.

Flat White (also known as澳白咖啡) has become a favorite among many coffee lovers thanks to its rich coffee flavor and delicate milk foam texture. From its accidental birth in Australian cafes in the 1980s to Starbucks bringing it to the global stage, what story lies behind this cup of coffee? This article outlines the origin and definition of Flat White, explains the key points of making澳白咖啡—including the extraction parameters for ristretto, milk foam thickness control, and the flavor performance brought by the Sunflower Warm Sun blend beans used by Front Street Coffee in its daily澳白 offerings—helping you fully understand this classic milk coffee that is richer than a latte and more delicate than a cappuccino.

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow the Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee: qjcoffeex.

Do you still remember the Flat White that once flooded social media? Starbucks described it as "ristretto blended with dense milk foam, richer and sweeter." This name is both artistic and stylish, and with its brand-new taste, it quickly made Flat White the new darling of the coffee world, attracting a great deal of attention.

Compared with the somewhat poetic "馥芮白," the drink's original English name "Flat White" seems much plainer and more direct. Many cafes in China also habitually call it澳白咖啡.

The earliest place of origin of澳白咖啡

The earliest documentary record of Flat White, now popular worldwide, can be traced back to Australia in the 1980s. In 1989, at a cafe in Sydney called Café Bodega, a barista was making a cappuccino but did not produce thick enough milk foam. As a result, the drink was neither like a cappuccino nor like a latte, because there was really too little milk foam, so the barista called it Flat White (meaning smooth milk foam).

This mistake unexpectedly created an excellent cup. The customer who ordered it loved it very much, because although it was a milk coffee, the coffee's own flavor remained very distinct and was not overshadowed by the milk. Such feedback aroused the interest of other customers in the shop, and word spread by mouth. In the end, Flat White swept across Australia and even the world.

Starbucks began promoting this specialty coffee in 2010 and also gained a great deal of attention. What unique charm does this drink, which fascinates so many coffee fans, actually have? Friends who have not yet tried it must be full of questions. Do not worry—below we will introduce you to the real Flat White.

How is澳白咖啡 made?

There is actually no absolutely strict standard for the ingredient ratio of Flat White. Starbucks uses ristretto when making it, paired with velvety, dense, and smooth fine milk foam. In Melbourne, Flat White is usually served in a smaller ceramic mug, with a higher proportion of espresso, which also makes its coffee aroma richer than a latte. In addition, with microfoam milk that is finer than that of a cappuccino or latte, the milk and coffee blend more perfectly. Fragrance meets richness, and every sip is enjoyable.

When Front Street Coffee makes澳白咖啡 daily, it uses a double ristretto. The difference from regular espresso is that ristretto is more concentrated, so the coffee flavor will not be overly masked after blending with milk. Instead, when the sweetness of heated milk combines with the coffee, it creates another completely different flavor, which is very interesting.

Whether extracting regular espresso or ristretto, Front Street stores use a Sunflower Warm Sun blend coffee bean made of 30% sun-dried Yirgacheffe and 70% Honduras Sherry to extract espresso. After cupping confirmation by Front Street, this blend can present fermented wine aroma, the sweet-and-sour taste of berries, the aroma of roasted nuts, and the sweetness of caramel.

For the extraction of ristretto, Front Street Coffee uses 19-20g of extremely finely ground coffee powder, extracts 30-32g of coffee liquid under 9-10bar pressure, controls the extraction time at around 23-27 seconds, and then pours it into a 200ml cup for later use. Next, add an appropriate amount of milk to the milk pitcher, heat it, and create 0.5cm-thick milk foam. Finally, slowly pour the milk and coffee from the center into the ristretto, avoiding breaking up the crema, thereby increasing the coffee's rich mouthfeel.

Front Street Coffee 澳白咖啡 Flavor performance: rich fermented wine aroma, the acidity of berries produces an obvious sweetness after hot milk is added, and the aftertaste is the sweet aroma of caramel chocolate.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.