Why Does Americano Taste Bitter in This Dessert?
A Shanghai cafe introduced Americano Tangyuan for the Lantern Festival: four freshly cooked black sesame tangyuan in a ceramic cup, topped with a shot of espresso, priced at 38 yuan. The item follows KFC's limited Tangyuan Affogato Romance. Reviews criticized the combination, noting that a bitter americano does not balance with very sweet black sesame filling.
The ingredients are ordinary supermarket black sesame tangyuan and espresso pulled from a standard blend coffee, so the cost is low, which is the main reason many call the price unfair. Netizens with home coffee equipment say the drink is easy to copy. The episode also shows how holiday coffee specials can draw attention while inviting scrutiny over pricing.
On the eve of the Lantern Festival, KFC launched a limited-edition "Tangyuan Affogato Romance"—affogato paired with black sesame tangyuan, sparking a check-in craze, but designated stores and limited supply left many netizens coming up empty-handed. Soon after, a café in Shanghai also launched Americano Tangyuan: four freshly cooked black sesame tangyuan served in a ceramic cup, topped with a shot of espresso. However, the 38-yuan price tag and the taste of "extremely bitter coffee paired with extremely sweet tangyuan" drew criticism from netizens for poor value for money, especially since it's simple to make and can be replicated with home coffee equipment. This article will walk you through the ins and outs of this festive special, along with Front Street Coffee's recommendations for home replication.
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With only two days left until the Lantern Festival, KFC was the first to jump on the holiday hype, launching "Tangyuan Affogato Romance"—combining affogato with black sesame tangyuan, successfully drawing a crowd of tangyuan lovers and coffee fans to check in at stores. However, this new item is a limited edition available only at designated stores, and some netizens complained that they made a special trip only to come up empty-handed, missing out on this East-meets-West affogato.
Soon after, a café in Shanghai also rolled out an Americano Tangyuan ahead of the Lantern Festival. The method: place four freshly cooked black sesame tangyuan in a ceramic cup, pour over a shot of espresso, and it's ready to serve. On a rainy day, such a warm bowl of Americano Tangyuan would normally be quite cozy, but those who tried it commented: "Extremely bitter coffee paired with extremely sweet black sesame tangyuan—this combo feels a bit forced."
At the same time, this netizen also reminded others not to try it rashly, the key reason being that this Americano Tangyuan is priced at 38 yuan, which overall is poor value for money. Looking at the production process, Americano Tangyuan doesn't use any special ingredients—just ordinary black sesame tangyuan commonly found in supermarkets, and the espresso poured over it is extracted from an ordinary blend, so the cost isn't high. Netizens who have coffee equipment at home also said they could easily replicate this Americano Tangyuan at home. If you use Front Street Coffee's classic blend beans, such as Front Street Espresso Blend Coffee Beans, to extract a rich, oily espresso, then pair it with store-bought black sesame tangyuan, you can recreate a similar flavor at a lower cost.
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
