What is white coffee and how is it made

White coffee is not a different plant or a milky drink by definition. The name usually refers to beans that are roasted only lightly, or in some versions not roasted at all before grinding, which leaves a pale color and a milder, less bitter cup. Because the roast stops early, the drink keeps more of the bean's original character.

The lighter roast also means the beans stay harder and denser, so they can wear out home grinders faster. Caffeine content varies by version rather than being fixed, and the beverage is often served with sweetened condensed milk in Southeast Asian cafes. As for white coffee benefits and side effects, the evidence is limited and depends on how it is prepared.

Innovation in the new-style tea beverage industry seems to be getting more and more baffling lately. From goji berry milk tea that lets you enjoy yourself while staying healthy, to completely unrelated offerings like luosifen (snail rice noodle) milk tea and Chongqing hotpot milk tea, to roast duck milk tea, Lao Gan Ma milk tea, fish mint and cilantro lemon tea, and even raw-pickled hairy crab milk tea—these drinks not only feature bizarre ingredients, but some even let you choose the broth base, toppings, and spice level, as if an entire dish has been stuffed into a cup. Faced with these wildly imaginative combinations, we can't help but ask: is the bottom line of beverage innovation really just "as long as you can still survive after drinking it"? Wouldn't it be nice to just enjoy a normal milk tea with toppings?

Next up is the contestant that claims to let you "enjoy yourself while staying healthy." This kind of move feels like mixing coffee with herbal tea, or dropping a few goji berries into a beer, or adding a ginseng root to a cola—consuming and nourishing at the same time. As long as the ratio is fifty-fifty, it becomes a cup of guilt-free happy health tea. To borrow a popular saying: milk tea and coffee with goji berries, you'll definitely wake up early tomorrow.

Following close behind is the "completely unrelated pairing" contestant. At this point, luosifen milk tea, Chongqing hotpot milk tea, coconut chicken pot milk tea, and ramen milk tea all raise their hands to sign up.

Some products even let you choose the "broth base," pick "toppings," and set the "spice level" just like ordering a dish. Aside from the meat, basically every element you'd find in a hotpot can be found in the cup. Others use "stand-ins" to mimic certain ingredients—for example, the noodles in luosifen might be replaced with white jelly, and the noodles in ramen might be substituted with egg pudding.

Last but not least, the finale is the contestant that makes you take a step back just from hearing its name... roast duck milk tea, Lao Gan Ma milk tea, fish mint and cilantro lemon tea, and raw-pickled "hairy crab" (marsh crab) milk tea...

(Are you sure drinking this won't cause any problems??)

(Still the same question: are you sure drinking this won't cause any problems... right...)

Is the bottom line of beverage innovation nowadays really that as long as you can still breathe after drinking it, you can keep innovating forever...? Wouldn't it be nice to just peacefully enjoy a normal new-style tea beverage and order a normal milk tea with toppings???

Image source: Internet, Xiaohongshu

If you're also tired of these bizarre flavors and want to return to a pure, good cup of coffee, why not give Front Street Coffee a try. Front Street has always insisted on making clean, balanced coffee where you can taste the flavor of its origin. Whether it's pour-over or espresso, it will help you rediscover what a beverage should really be like.

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