As Shanghai resumes work and production, people are returning to coffee shops to enjoy the long-awaited coffee time. However, an internet-famous shop called "WHEN PIGS FLY," which was once ranked first among popular coffee shops in Shanghai, has been investigated for using expired food ingredients. On May 25, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation reported that the shop was investigated and dealt with by the Changning District Administration for Market Regulation for using pasteurized egg white liquid that had passed its shelf life to make cake roll bases. Four used egg white liquid boxes were found at the scene, one of which was expired for more than 20 days, and 24 semi-finished products had been processed. The incident sparked heated discussions among netizens, with some surprised, some worried, and others calling for heavy penalties. Food safety has once again become a bottom line that cannot be ignored in the coffee industry. [more…]

Egg coffee isn't only a Vietnamese specialty—Nordic countries also have an old method of brewing coffee with eggs. The Vietnamese version whips egg yolks into a creamy substitute for milk, born in wartime Hanoi when supplies were scarce; the Nordic version uses egg whites to bind the coffee grounds, leaving the brewed coffee clear and sediment-free. Front Street Coffee walks you through the origins, principles and home-friendly methods for both styles of egg coffee, including how to choose pasteurized eggs, the ratio of coffee liquid to egg cream, and Front Street's own tested brewing tweaks, so you can recreate these two intriguing flavors at home. [more…]

The flavor profile of a milk coffee ultimately depends on two core ingredients—espresso and milk. In a latte, milk often accounts for more than three-quarters of the drink; it must both carry the coffee's aroma and retain its own sweetness, while the coffee beans directly determine the flavor foundation of the entire beverage. Milk on the market falls into two categories: pasteurized fresh milk and ultra-high-temperature (UHT) sterilized shelf-stable milk, and the two differ noticeably in nutrition, mouthfeel, and shelf life. As for coffee beans, because a latte contains a large amount of fresh milk, the espresso needs sufficient body and fullness, making medium-dark or dark roasts more suitable. This article will go through the logic of choosing milk one by one, along with blend recommendations for different flavor orientations, to help enthusiasts find a milk coffee solution that suits them. [more…]

A milk coffee is made up of nothing but espresso and milk, so choosing the right coffee beans and milk is crucial. Not only do different ingredients create differences in flavor, but different ratios also affect the final strength of the coffee. As for what milk is suitable for a latte, let's start with milk—it makes up at least three-quarters of a latte. [more…]

You might not have thought of it, but a coffee machine can do more than brew coffee—it can also whip up an egg dessert on the side. In fact, back in the 1950s in Colombia, people were already using the steam wand to make an egg dish called Huevos Al Vapor and turning it into a signature item in their shops. Now Front Street Coffee is also trying to recreate this steamed egg pudding with a home espresso machine—all you need are eggs, milk, butter, and sugar, and it's done in a few steps. This article will break down the steps in detail, the ingredient ratios, and two ways to present it with coffee flavors, while also reminding you about cleaning the steam wand and milk pitcher, to help you successfully make this impromptu dessert with caramel-coffee notes and low sweetness. [more…]

There are two highly iconic coffees on the streets of Vietnam. Besides the familiar drip coffee, the other is egg coffee made with raw eggs. Recently, a new version of the recipe has become popular online, and those who have tried it have unanimously described it as "liquid tiramisu," which makes one wonder: what kind of taste and flavor could deserve such praise? This article will guide you through the origin and evolution of Vietnamese egg coffee and provide a complete replication using the current popular recipe, sharing everything from ingredient preparation and whipping techniques to coffee extraction parameters step by step, and finally including a real tasting experience. If you also want to know just how magical this egg coffee, called "liquid tiramisu," really is, then follow along with Front Street Coffee and give it a try. [more…]

The combination of coffee and milk has a history of more than three hundred years. From the 17th century, when aristocrats added milk to improve the astringency of tea, to the 20th century, when espresso machines gave rise to cappuccino and latte, milk coffee culture has continued to evolve. Today there are many varieties such as latte and flat white, but the key to a delicious milk coffee lies in the pairing of milk and espresso beans. This article sorts out the historical thread of adding milk to coffee, explains Front Street Coffee's latte recipe in detail, and recommends a variety of espresso beans specially suited for milk coffee: from the rich nutty and chocolate notes of the classic blend, to the fruity and floral sweetness of Strawberry Candy and Xizhua SOE, and then to the caramel and vanilla flavor of Sunflower Warm Sun. At the same time, it discusses the logic of selecting full-fat fresh milk, helping enthusiasts understand how the taste of milk and the taste of coffee can be balanced. [more…]

Around 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every day, and with that comes a massive amount of spent coffee grounds. Traditional recycling methods—such as deodorizing, exfoliating, or making furniture—often require drying, which actually releases carbon dioxide. Japanese scientist Tetsuji Ishigaki has taken a different approach: using Aspergillus to ferment spent coffee grounds into a paste, then adding cocoa butter to solidify it, creating a ready-to-eat spent-coffee-ground chocolate. This product, called COLEHA, not only contains three times the amino acids of green coffee beans, but its polyphenols and antioxidants also reach 1.6 times those of regular coffee, and it is rich in insoluble fiber that promotes gut health. COLEHA is currently available in limited quantities, with sugar content offered in three versions—0%, 10%, and 40%—each with its own distinctive taste. This article introduces this eco-friendly and innovative spent-coffee-ground utilization technology, along with the flavor and health secrets behind it. [more…]

An outstanding latte art design relies on the support of fine, smooth milk foam. Many coffee enthusiasts, when practicing milk frothing, tend to focus only on the position of the steam wand and the aeration technique, while overlooking some details that determine success or failure. Today, Front Street Coffee will break down, one by one, the key points to pay attention to when frothing milk, covering six aspects: temperature control, milk refrigeration, purging the steam wand, angle adjustment, the number of times to tap the pitcher, and the practice of transferring the milk. Mastering these easily overlooked steps can help you reduce the chances of failure and take the density and fluidity of your milk foam to the next level. [more…]

As Shanghai gradually resumes work and production, the coffee industry should be welcoming a recovery, yet recently several trendy cafés have been investigated by regulatory authorities one after another over food safety issues. From People's Café using expired parsley flakes, cranberry juice, and other ingredients, to MANNER Coffee's poor hygiene conditions, to the expired egg white liquid used at Dang Zhu Fei Café to make cake roll bases, these incidents have exposed the neglect of food safety by some stores under the pressure of resuming operations. This article reviews these typical cases and explores how small cafés can hold the line on compliance when ingredient supplies are tight. For consumers who love coffee, understanding this information helps them choose places to consume more rationally, and Front Street Coffee also reminds practitioners that no matter how much order pressure there is, food safety is always a red line that cannot be crossed. [more…]

Walk into any café and order a latte or cappuccino, and unless you specify otherwise, the barista will almost always reach for whole fresh milk by default. Why are cafés so devoted to cold-chain fresh milk? What roles do the protein, fat, and lactose in milk each play in a milk coffee? And what trade-offs in flavor and shelf life do pasteurization and UHT ultra-high-temperature sterilization bring? Starting from how milk components affect coffee flavor and milk foam structure, this article peels back the layers to reveal the core logic behind whole fresh milk becoming the top choice for cafés, while comparing the real differences between cold-chain fresh milk and shelf-stable pure milk, so you can make a more suitable choice when making milk coffee at home. [more…]

Why can an unsweetened latte still taste sweet? What secrets are hidden in Front Street's espresso blend beans? Starting from the formulation logic of espresso blends, this article will break down the flavor characteristics of Front Street Classic Blend and Strawberry Candy Espresso one by one, and explain in detail the trade-offs between pre-roast blending and post-roast blending, how to determine blending ratios, as well as the milk frothing temperature, frothing technique, and coffee-to-milk ratio for lattes. Whether you are a complete beginner or someone who wants to recreate a latte with a wine-scented finish at home, you can find actionable answers in this process. [more…]

After coffee shops launched water buffalo milk Dirty, this milk source sparked widespread discussion in the coffee community. Water buffalo milk is familiar to friends in Guangzhou, Foshan, and Guangxi, but how does it actually perform in coffee? This article, through hands-on comparisons of glass-bottled fresh milk and water buffalo milk, makes hot lattes, Dirty, and iced mochas respectively, recording one by one from milk foam fineness, coffee integration, layering effect, to flavor layers. At the same time, it will also sort out the effects of pasteurization and ultra-high-temperature sterilization on milk taste, helping coffee lovers and cafe owners find milk suitable for pairing with coffee. [more…]