Starbucks' Flat White is translated as "馥芮白," a name that leaves many people scratching their heads. Is it the same coffee as Australian White or Smooth White? And how does its taste differ from a latte or cappuccino? This article, based on actual tasting and combined with the debate between Australia and New Zealand over the origin of the Flat White, sorts out the flavor characteristics and naming confusion surrounding this coffee. It also mentions that McDonald's in China has long offered Flat White for about 10 yuan, while a cup at Starbucks costs 36 yuan. If you're looking for a rich and smooth cup of coffee, Front Street Coffee also has related bean recommendations, so you might compare them with the flavor descriptions in this article when making your choice.
Today, passing by the Starbucks next to the Weizai editorial office, I noticed a new coffee on the menu called "Flat White."
The staff were all enthusiastically recommending it and offering free samples.
I ordered a cup and found it marked "FW" on the side, which at first glance looks like the abbreviation for "Forward," giving a feeling of fast-forwarding to the future.
The only thing that felt a bit off was that the Chinese translation of Flat White was set as "馥芮白," which sounds like some domestic laundry detergent or toothpaste brand from before the liberation.
Many netizens who tried it themselves also expressed confusion.
Starbucks' official Weibo also tried to explain, but after reading it, people were even more confused.
Even after reading a serious explanation written by someone else, I still didn't quite understand.
Fortunately, Hugh Jackman (an Australian), who runs a coffee shop in New York, gave a straightforward explanation: "A Flat White is just a latte with a little more coffee and a little less milk."
Many coffee purists will tell you it's not that simple, that there's a lot of nuance involved. After verifying, we found that those claims basically don't hold up—Flat White is essentially just a stronger latte.
As for the nationality of Flat White, there seems to be a bit of a feud behind it:
After checking, Weizai found that the only ones truly eager to apply for heritage status for Flat White are indeed Australians and New Zealanders:
Sydneysiders claim that the term "Flat White" first appeared in Sydney in the 1980s.
Melburnians say they were already drinking this beverage in the 1970s, just not under that name.
New Zealanders say this drink was entirely born out of the coffee culture of Wellington, the capital, in the late 1980s. (I wonder if New Zealanders seriously listened to Australians—bragging about something that only appeared in the late 1980s...)
In any case, we believe that both Australia and New Zealand have made important contributions to the popularity of the Flat White.
Flat White didn't just land at Starbucks and threaten to replace the cappuccino—there's even a book called "Flat White Economics."
This book talks about how trendy young people who never let go of their Flat White save the world economy by growing beards, riding fixies, working in the "digital economy," and starting APP businesses. It shows that Flat White has long been a signature drink for entrepreneurs in Europe and America.
The most surprising thing is: McDonald's in China has also long offered Flat White, estimated at only 10 yuan.
Now look at the cup I bought: 36 yuan.
Taste: a stronger latte; Feeling: very trendy.
Source: Brainhole Research Institute
Original text: http://dy.qq.com/article.htm?id=20150929A01CS800
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
