What is SOE coffee and which drinks suit a first coffee shop visit

Walking into a coffee shop for the first time can feel confusing, but ordering coffee is as ordinary as ordering food. For black coffee, an iced Americano is a simple start. For milk coffee, a latte is a safe choice because its higher milk ratio softens the bitterness. If sweetness is wanted, a vanilla, hazelnut or caramel latte works.

The menu list goes further: espresso, SOE coffee, Americano, latte, cappuccino, flat white, dirty, cold brew and hand drip. When nothing stands out, describe the preference directly to the barista, covering milk, sweetness and whether the drink should be iced or hot. Knowing what each item means makes the next order calmer. Basic coffee knowledge of this kind removes most of the hesitation.

Walking into a coffee shop for the first time, it's only natural to feel a bit lost facing the dense list of coffee names on the menu. Actually, drinking coffee is just as ordinary as ordering food at a restaurant—there's no need to be nervous at all. If you want black coffee, you can start with an iced Americano; if you prefer milk coffee, a latte is a safe bet; if you like sweetness, you can also try a flavored latte. If you really can't make up your mind, just describe your taste preferences directly to the barista—whether you want milk, whether you want it sweet, whether you want it iced or hot—and they'll patiently help recommend something. This article also compiles an explanation of common coffee menu items, from Espresso, SOE, Americano, Latte to Cappuccino, Flat White, Dirty, Cold Brew, and Hand Drip, to help you quickly understand the characteristics of each coffee so you can order with more confidence next time.

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Standing at the coffee shop counter, staring at those unfamiliar names on the drink menu—do you feel a bit dazed?

These days coffee shops offer increasingly rich options, and for friends visiting for the first time or who rarely drink coffee, it's indeed easy to feel at a loss. So what should you do? First, relax—drinking coffee isn't anything profound. Just treat it like ordering dishes at a restaurant~

Option one: Iced Americano and Latte are basically foolproof.

If you prefer black coffee, an iced Americano is worth trying. If you're afraid black coffee is too bitter for your taste, making it iced can reduce the bitterness. If you still find it bitter, you can ask the barista for a little milk—adding a small amount of milk can make the Americano go down more smoothly~

If you want something with milk, a Latte is a good choice. A latte has a higher proportion of milk, which does a good job of masking the coffee's bitterness, and it's great both iced and hot! It's also a product with very high public acceptance~

If you prefer sweetness, you can choose a flavored latte, such as vanilla latte, hazelnut latte, caramel latte, floral latte... these all have sweetness! One thing to note: matcha lattes and black tea lattes don't contain coffee~

Option two: Just ask the barista

Just like when you don't know what to order at a restaurant and ask the server for their signature dishes, at a coffee shop you can likewise consult the barista~ They'll all patiently help you choose.

Just tell the barista what flavor you want, whether you want milk, whether you want it sweet, whether you want it iced or hot, and the barista can pick out the corresponding coffee for you based on that.

Option three: Refer to the menu explanations below

If you're rather shy and afraid of embarrassment, here's also a compiled menu explanation—when you really can't bring yourself to speak up, you can refer to it~

Espresso

Simple understanding: an extremely concentrated, very small serving of coffee liquid

This is coffee liquid extracted by an espresso machine (that is, the boxy or long machine on the counter) through high temperature and high pressure. If it's your first time drinking coffee, it's not really recommended to choose this, because it's just too strong and too bitter! It's usually only a few dozen milliliters.

SOE Coffee Single Origin Espresso

Simple understanding: a more refreshing-tasting espresso

SOE refers to making espresso with coffee beans from a single origin, with the core being to highlight the coffee flavor of a certain region.

The most common SOE made from Ethiopian beans (such as Yirgacheffe, Sidamo coffee beans, Huakui coffee beans) will have a sweet-and-sour note, and is much fresher than the coffee shop's default espresso—which usually uses a blend of beans from two or more regions and tastes rich and full-bodied.

Americano

Simple understanding: espresso diluted with water

This is a product of espresso liquid mixed with water; it has ample coffee aroma, moderate concentration, and can still be adjusted to your own taste. If you think the Americano at the shop is too strong and too bitter, you can add more water to make it milder~ You can also add some milk to adjust it.

Caffe' Latte/Coffee Latte

Simple understanding: milk + espresso

If you want to see coffee latte art, just order a hot latte~ A hot latte has delicate, silky milk foam, with milk fragrance and coffee aroma balancing each other, smooth and mellow on the palate. An iced latte is refreshing yet rich—you can feel both the intensity of the coffee and the refreshing smoothness of cold milk.

Oat-milk Coffee Latte

Simple understanding: oat milk + espresso

Oat milk is not a dairy product; it's a smooth, rich oat-based liquid. If you're lactose intolerant or allergic to milk, you can choose an oat latte.

Raw coconut Coffee Latte

Simple understanding: a blend of coconut meat and coconut water pressed into juice + espresso

The juice made by blending and pressing coconut meat and coconut water is called thick coconut milk; the coconut aroma is very rich, and the texture is smooth and thick. Most thick coconut milk is naturally sweet, so if you want sweet coffee, you can also choose a raw coconut latte!

Cappuccino

Simple understanding: a milk coffee with milk foam as fluffy as marshmallow

Like a latte, it's milk plus espresso, but the milk foam is thicker and fluffier. The first sip is like eating a marshmallow—mellow and fluffy, with a balance of milk fragrance and coffee aroma. One thing to note: cappuccino has no iced version~

Flat white

Simple understanding: a milk coffee with a stronger coffee taste

Flat white is made similarly to a latte, but the coffee taste is stronger than a latte, and the serving size is also a bit smaller than a latte. If you want a milk coffee but don't want to consume too much milk, a flat white is recommended—rich coffee flavor, mellow and smooth on the palate~

Dirty

Simple understanding: a milk coffee that can only be made iced, is not stirred, has distinct layers, and a rich coffee taste

This product first uses chilled fresh milk or purified milk, then slowly pours espresso onto the surface of the milk, letting it float on top of the milk.

When tasting a Dirty, don't stir it—just take a big sip, and the layering will fascinate you. From strong to light, from deep to pale, the first sip is intense coffee, and the last sip is the sweet fragrance of milk.

Coffee Mocha

Simple understanding: a milk coffee with chocolate or dark cocoa added

It's basically a latte with chocolate sauce or chocolate powder added; it can be served hot or cold, and chocolate lovers shouldn't miss it!!

Cold Blew/Ice Drip coffee

Simple understanding: an iced black coffee extracted at low temperature, with a clean, full, and smooth taste

It's different from an iced Americano~ Cold brew is black coffee made by soaking in cold water at low temperature, with a rich, full-bodied taste; ice drip is black coffee made by dripping ice water through, with a rich and refreshing taste.

The taste will also differ depending on the coffee beans used, so when ordering you can ask the barista what flavor is being used~ These two coffees by default have no milk and no sugar added, and you can add a moderate amount if needed.

Hand Drip

Simple understanding: a drip-filtered black coffee that is overall balanced, clean-tasting, and has distinct layers of aroma and flavor

Compared with espresso, hand drip has a cleaner taste and is more balanced overall; compared with cold brew and ice drip, it better showcases the coffee beans' alluring aroma. For hand drip, you can choose the beans~ Different coffee beans will present different flavors.

If you like fruity acidity, you can try Ethiopian coffee beans~ If you like a soft acidity, you can try Panamanian beans~ If you like the taste of dried fruit or preserved fruit, you can try Costa Rican beans... Or just tell the barista the flavor you prefer, and they'll help you pick suitable beans~

Images are for reference only

Source: Internet

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