Flat White is translated as Flat White/Aussie White coffee, also known as "fresh milk espresso," which Starbucks in China names "Flat White coffee". It originates from the flavored milk coffee of New Zealand and Australia. It is said that during World War II, Italians emigrated to New Zealand and Australia and brought coffee culture with them, leading to the creation of Flat White coffee in the 1980s.

Flat White coffee's origin

There are two legends about the invention of Flat White coffee. One is that a barista wanted to make a cappuccino (which has a stronger coffee taste and thicker milk foam than a latte), but did not froth the milk enough, resulting in a milk coffee with a stronger coffee taste and thinner milk foam than a latte.

Another is that many consumers wanted to drink milk coffee with a rich coffee flavor and did not want to drink a latte with a 1:6 coffee-to-milk ratio, so some coffee shops offered a small-sized milk coffee with about a 1:1 coffee-to-milk ratio, creating a fresh milk espresso of only about 3 oz.

Flat White coffeeCan it be made iced?

Regardless of the reason, we can see that Flat White coffee has a higher coffee concentration than latte. Some coffee shops also use ristretto (which has a higher concentration than regular espresso), paired with thinner milk foam than latte, to create a milk coffee with a velvety texture and rich coffee flavor.

Therefore, authenticFlat White coffee only has a hot version. However, Starbucks has launched a cold version to meet different consumer needs. Compared with the hot version, the cold version of Flat White coffee is thinner and lighter. If you want to drink a rich Flat White coffee, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) recommends choosing the hot one.

The taste and mouthfeel characteristics of ristretto

Ristretto is a type of espresso. Compared with the espresso we commonly refer to, ristretto is extracted with the same extraction parameters as espresso but yields less coffee liquid, so its concentration is higher than that of espresso. If the beans used to make the espresso themselves have acidity, then the acidity of ristretto will be higher than that of espresso.

At present, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses a house blend called "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans" for all its espresso-type products. It is made from a blend of 30% Ethiopian natural Yirgacheffe and 70% Honduran Sherry coffee beans. According to Front Street's cupping, this coffee bean has flavors of whisky aroma, soft berry acidity, vanilla cream, and nutty caramel.

For daily espresso extraction, Front Street uses a pressure of 9-10 bar to extract coffee liquid at a coffee-to-liquid ratio of about 1:2. Generally, a single espresso uses 9-11 g of coffee grounds and extracts about 15-25 g of coffee liquid, while a double espresso uses 18-20 g of coffee grounds and extracts 35-45 g of coffee liquid. The less coffee liquid extracted, the higher the coffee concentration.

Ristretto is actually espresso with a smaller extraction ratio. Therefore, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses the same grind size and dose as espresso but extracts less coffee liquid, and the extraction time is also longer. Generally, the extracted coffee-to-liquid ratio is about 1:1.6.

Flat White coffee's preparation method

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses a 200 ml cup, adds a double ristretto (35 g), and pours heated milk with thin milk foam from the center while dispersing the espresso, which creates a layered flavor experience. The first sip is the rich fermented wine aroma of espresso, the second sip is the strawberry milkshake flavor produced after the espresso and milk combine, and the third sip is the roasted nut flavor produced after a small amount of coffee and milk combine.

Because it should be finished by the drinker while the coffee is in its most perfect state, it should be neither too hot nor too thick, and it must also be dense. If cappuccino and latte pursue an airy "fluffiness," then Aussie White coffee pursues a silky "smoothness." Front Street hopes that the Aussie White guests drink is creamy and smooth while not being too "watery." We keep a 0.3 cm milk foam layer to blend with the espresso and pour latte art, and control the temperature at 50-55°C, making it easier to drink.

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