Is Cafe Latte Bitter When Made With Buffalo Milk?

Manner Coffee's water buffalo milk Dirty pushed the ingredient into cafe discussion, so bottled water buffalo milk and fresh cow milk were compared in hot lattes, Dirty coffee, iced mocha and iced lattes. The two milks behave differently when steamed, layered and integrated, which changes how much bitterness comes through in the finished drink.

Sterilization temperature drives much of the difference. Glass-bottle milk usually uses pasteurization around 60-82°C, losing little beyond some vitamin C and B1, but keeping only about five days refrigerated. Ultra-high-temperature milk lasts longer at room temperature yet alters proteins and sugars. Pasteurized milk tends to round off the cup, so latte is bitter far less often when the milk is fresh.

After Manner Coffee launched a water buffalo milk Dirty, water buffalo milk quickly became a hot topic in cafe circles. For friends in Guangzhou, Foshan, and Guangxi, water buffalo milk is a taste they grew up with. In this review, we found legally available fresh glass-bottle water buffalo milk and ordinary glass-bottle fresh milk in Guangzhou, and compared them one by one in hot lattes, Dirty, iced mocha, and iced lattes, observing their different performances in steaming, layering, integration, and finish. We will also discuss the impact of pasteurization and ultra-high-temperature sterilization on taste, as well as the cost-effectiveness and sense of ritual of glass-bottle milk in cafe use. The article also retains specialty bean recommendations related to Front Street Coffee for coffee lovers' reference.

A while ago, Manner Coffee launched a Dirty made with water buffalo milk, instantly pushing water buffalo milk into the center of discussion in many cafes. For people in many places, water buffalo milk may still be a bit unfamiliar, but for most people in Guangzhou, Foshan, and Guangxi, it is almost an unavoidable taste from childhood.

(Friends from Guangzhou and Foshan have already couldn't help shouting:)

Baifulu!

Yes, that's the one. Originally I planned to test all the water buffalo milk available on the market, but found that most are ultra-high-temperature sterilized milk that can be stored at room temperature, and finding fresh water buffalo milk is not easy (either you can only buy raw milk directly from your own farm)... So in Guangzhou, the only legally qualified fresh water buffalo milk you can buy is this one⬇️

Compared with house-shaped carton milk, the taste of glass-bottle milk has always had a feeling that is hard to surpass. The difference mainly comes from the different sterilization temperatures used for the two types of packaging. The components in milk change with sterilization temperature, and ultimately both nutrition and taste differ accordingly.

Glass-bottle milk usually uses pasteurization, with a lower sterilization temperature (generally 60-82°C). The advantage is that aside from a slight loss of vitamin C and vitamin B1, other nutrients and taste are close to freshly squeezed milk; the disadvantage is a short refrigerated shelf life of only 5 days.

(Only the blue one is fresh milk~ the others are purely out of curiosity about what they taste like in coffee, hehe)

House-shaped carton milk mostly uses high-temperature sterilization, with a higher temperature (120-137°C), to kill pathogens and harmful microorganisms. The advantage is that it can be refrigerated for 15 days; the disadvantage is that high temperature causes relatively more nutrient loss, and nutrients continue to be lost during storage, while the taste is also compromised.

This is also why, after glass-bottle milk became less and less common later, whether in richness, fullness, or the layer of milk skin on the surface after heating, it no longer had the feeling of drinking milk in childhood. Although carton milk is more convenient for the public, some fresh milk with better taste can itself cost 20 yuan/945ml, while glass-bottle fresh milk generally costs 4 yuan/210-220ml on the market, and buying in bulk may come with discounts.

Converted to the same volume, the price is actually similar to carton milk, but the taste and nutrition differ. So if cafe owners in some regions can buy locally produced glass-bottle milk, they can consider using it~ one bottle at a time, both environmentally friendly and able to give customers a super fresh feeling and sense of ritual.

"We,

return to water buffalo milk."

Compared with the milk from Holstein cows that we drink daily, the nutritional value of milk produced by water buffalo is somewhat more prominent. Take protein and calcium, the most representative components in milk, as an example. The national requirement for protein content in raw cow milk is 2.8%, and the protein content of pure milk from some milk source regions on the market is 3.2%, while higher-quality ones can reach 3.6%.

But the milk of many water buffalo breeds can easily exceed 3.6% protein. Besides higher protein, the calcium content, vitamin A, and fat content in ordinary water buffalo milk are also higher than in ordinary milk. However! Higher nutrition does not mean the more the better; it still depends on individual absorption capacity.

Of course, since it is being used to make coffee, let's set nutrition aside for now. The taste of the milk and its performance after integrating with coffee are the focus of this article~

For comparison, I deliberately bought regular milk and water buffalo milk in the same glass bottles. As usual, this time I still used a blended coffee bean with winey, berry, and nut notes, and made hot latte and Dirty respectively. In addition, I used chocolate-flavored water buffalo milk to make iced mocha, and also used sweet cup-packed water buffalo milk to make Dirty.

"Glass Bottle Water Buffalo Milk Hot Latte Coffee"

When heated, the smell of milk skin hits you right away~ When steaming the milk foam, the fineness is slightly weaker, and after steaming it feels a bit slightly rough~ After integrating with coffee, the coffee shows a natural sweetness, and when drinking it there is also the richness of milk, but it does not overpower the coffee's own flavor. It complements the coffee, forming a unique mint (fresh mint leaf) creamy flavor, though the finish is not long.

"Glass Bottle Milk Hot Latte Coffee"

When heated, there is also a milk skin smell~ The milk foam is easier to steam into a fine, dense texture. After integrating with coffee, the coffee shows a natural sweetness, and when drinking it there is the richness of milk. It does not mask the coffee's own flavor and complements the coffee, forming a berry vanilla creamy flavor, with a hazelnut finish~

" Glass Bottle Water Buffalo Milk Dirty"

Water buffalo milk itself has a full and solid taste, and its support for coffee is decent, able to form a good-looking layer. The first sip is the coffee liquid with a strong fermented wine aroma + berry sweet-and-sour notes, transitioning to the middle with obvious roasted nut aroma and the sweet taste of milk, and the last sip is fragrant, rich milk with a slight coffee taste.

"Glass Bottle Milk Dirty"

The milk taste is full and solid, and its support for coffee is stronger than water buffalo milk and boxed fresh milk, with a good-looking layering effect. The first sip is also coffee with a strong fermented wine aroma + berry sweet-and-sour notes, transitioning to the middle with the smoothness and aroma of vanilla cream, and the last sip is also sweet, fragrant milk with a slight coffee taste.

"Cup-Packed Sweet Water Buffalo Milk Dirty"

I looked at the ingredient list. It contains milk powder and white granulated sugar, but drinking it alone is not very sweet, and you can feel a strong milky taste. This cup-packed milk is also very "thoughtful," leaving exactly the space for one shot, as if it were prepared for Dirty! The first sip is the sweet strawberry creamy flavor formed by the blending of sweet milk and coffee. Maybe because the overall portion is small, one sip almost reaches the bottom, hahaha! So the second sip is sweet water buffalo milk with a coffee taste~

"Glass Bottle Chocolate Water Buffalo Milk Iced Mocha Coffee"

To be safe, I poured it out and took a sip. As expected, the chocolate flavor was not strong enough... I originally planned to use unsweetened dark chocolate powder to make a sauce and coat the glass, so that after stirring it would increase the richness of the chocolate... But it turned out the chocolate powder was also used up... However! After adding coffee, its own sweetness and chocolate flavor integrate with each other, and it does not steal the coffee's spotlight. You can still feel the coffee's taste, and the beans' own flavor also enhances the chocolate flavor!!

"Glass Bottle High-Calcium Water Buffalo Milk Iced Latte Coffee"

The auntie selling milk said high-calcium milk itself tastes slightly sweet, but not as sweet as sweet milk. So I made a high-calcium iced latte~ Unexpectedly! Surprisingly tasty! When drunk alone, it is like melted vanilla cream ice cream, very rich and smooth! After adding coffee, there is slight curdling, but it disappears after stirring! After integrating with coffee, the slight sweetness of the milk can soften the bitterness of the coffee while allowing the coffee's flavors to show, presenting sweet strawberry vanilla cream + roasted nut notes.

I have to say, whether it is glass-bottle milk or water buffalo milk, drinking it alone really makes you want to scream!! After heating it into a latte, in terms of mouthfeel, water buffalo milk seems a bit thin. If made into Dirty, personally I think water buffalo milk has richer layers! Mellow but not greasy!

Cup-packed sweet water buffalo milk is also not available on the market; you can only buy it from the brand company's online store~ I think this one is very suitable for making Dirty for friends who want to drink Dirty and also want a sweet taste.

Personally, I think water buffalo milk is really very suitable for making iced coffee! Summer is still long, so cafe owners can start arranging related products!

Actually, I also bought many bottles... I decided to use the remaining milk to make double-skin milk!

I can't drink any more... but double-skin milk I can! Ginger milk curd works too!

See you in the next review! BYE~

- Airui, whose milk dies every review

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