In essence, the Flat White coffee is a Café Latte with the proportions of milk to coffee changed around a bit. For a lot of cafes, the standard Latte is served in a 12 oz (354ml) cup with a double shot of espresso of 60ml using around 18g of coffee. Steamed milk foamed to a micro foam texture is then added to the espresso allowing the milk and espresso to infuse. The freshly poured drink will have a smooth velvety shiny consistency.
A flat white on the other hand is made in a 6fl oz (177ml) cup or if it’s a takeaway cup then 8 fl oz cup (236ml) with a shorter double shot poured to 40ml – 50ml. The same amount of coffee (18g) is used which means that the espresso becomes a ristretto (or restricted espresso). Foamed milk steamed to a micro foam texture is added.
The result in a stronger sweeter milk based coffee drink; its tastes stronger that a standard latte as the ratio of coffee to steamed milk is higher and sweeter because the double espresso is shortened. The richer sweeter flavour of the espresso is dispensed at the beginning of the espresso extraction.
So why are they so popular?
The term flat white has been around in Australia and New Zealand since the 1980’s but it has really become more popular here to reflect the changing style of coffee beans in use in terms of lighter roast profiles and higher quality arabica coffee beans used.
Flat whites are an ideal way of showcasing the flavours of speciality grade arabica. With our Djouce blend of Woodland Coffee the nuanced flavours of soft spice and chocolate make a great companion to textured micro foam that allows for a wonderful tactile sensation as coffee infused micro bubbles burst in the mouth. Wonderful!
