What Is Liberica Coffee and Why Does White Coffee Use It?

Liberica is one of the coffee varieties used in Malaysian White Coffee, blended there with Arabica and Robusta. Despite the name, the drink is not white in the cup. The beans are dark roasted until the surface turns oily, then brewed and processed into instant powder with sugar and non-dairy creamer. In Malaysia it is a fixed local product sold in small shops rather than a café style.

The other White Coffee is Australian: coffee with milk, most recognizably the Flat White. Malaysian White Coffee is attributed to Chinese immigrants who paid close attention to their bean selection. The three beans in the blend are varieties, not origins. Because the finished product is essentially instant coffee, travelers can find it almost anywhere in Malaysia instead of seeking out a specific café.

The name "White Coffee" easily leads people to think it got its name because the coffee liquid looks white. But in Malaysia, White Coffee is actually a fixed product made from a blend of Liberica, Arabica, and Robusta beans, dark roasted, and then processed into instant powder, sold in almost every small shop. The other kind of "White Coffee" we're more familiar with comes from Australia—where coffee with milk is collectively called White Coffee, the most iconic being the Flat White. This article will trace the origins of both types of white coffee and introduce the flavor characteristics and key points of making a Flat White.

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In Malaysia, White Coffee is a highly recognizable calling card of the local food culture. Although it is also used to refer to coffee with milk added, its more common meaning specifically refers to a local coffee product with a fixed recipe. It is said that this product was created by Chinese immigrants to Malaysia, with particularly careful attention to ingredient selection. So where exactly is the care taken?

The answer lies in its use of three types of beans for the blend. However, the three types of beans here do not refer to coffee beans from three different origins, but rather three different varieties of coffee beans: Liberica, Arabica, and Robusta.

After blending, the beans enter the roasting stage, and they are only removed from the roaster once the bean surface takes on an oily sheen. After cooling, the soluble substances in the coffee are extracted, then ingredients such as sugar and non-dairy creamer are added, and it is finally processed into powder form for convenient brewing at any time. At this point, you've probably already realized—this white coffee is essentially instant coffee. In Malaysia, this "White Coffee" instant product is a major local specialty.

Almost every small shop stocks this white coffee, because for locals, coffee has long been an indispensable daily necessity. For this reason, when traveling to Malaysia, there is no need to seek out a particular café—this specialty can be found everywhere, and you can enjoy this distinctive flavor anytime, anywhere.

Regarding the name "White Coffee," there are currently two main explanations. Front Street will first discuss the one everyone is more familiar with and the most widely circulated online: the terms "Black Coffee" and "White Coffee" both originate from Australia. This is because in most Australian cafés, coffee is basically divided into just these two categories.

Take "Black Coffee" for example—Australians call espresso "Short Black," meaning a small cup of black coffee; and after adding a certain amount of water to a Short Black, what would be called an Americano elsewhere is called a "Long Black" in Australia, which literally translates to "long black" and can be understood as a large cup of black coffee. From this, we can see that Australians have a very direct approach: keep it simple whenever possible, never complicated.

The logic behind white coffee is the same, just not as extreme in naming. In Australia, any coffee with milk added counts as white coffee. Whether it's a latte or a cappuccino, all these milk-containing coffees fall under the category of white coffee, "White Coffee."

Among this array of white coffees, one product stands out with its distinctive performance. Boosted by a well-known chain brand, it spread extremely quickly and soon appeared on the menus of major specialty coffee shops. It was this drink that introduced the public to the concept of white coffee, so in many people's minds, "White Coffee" refers specifically to it. So Front Street would like to ask: has everyone guessed what it is?

That's right! It is—the "Flat White."

"Flat White" is translated from the term "Flat white." Names like 平白, 小白, 馥芮白, 醇艺白, and 澳芮白 are all different translation versions of this term. No matter which name is used, none can do without the word "white" (white), which is why it has left many people with a deep impression of it being "white coffee."

Front Street frequently shares methods for making Flat Whites; interested friends can look through past articles. Here we'll just give a brief introduction: the Flat White is a localized Australian espresso milk coffee. Australians prefer a richer coffee flavor but don't want to taste excessive bitterness, so they created a "high-concentration, low-extraction" espresso—compared to a standard espresso, the extraction ratio is more tightened, which is a Ristretto.

Since a Ristretto does not extract the later-stage substances, the overall cup has an exceptionally abundant sweetness, rich without being bitter. Paired with a small amount of milk with silky microfoam, the coffee flavor becomes more prominent, and the overall body is also enhanced. Rich aroma, high sweetness, full body, and silky texture—these are exactly the qualities a Flat White possesses. This is precisely why it stands out from traditional Italian coffees and has become a favorite of many.

The Ristretto is made using Front Street's classic espresso blend, a recipe combining beans from three origins: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It uses a dark roast, which maximizes the coffee's rich aroma and allows everyone to easily extract abundant and dense crema. It is very suitable for making both an Americano diluted with water and a latte paired with milk, and can be purchased from the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.

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