“What is made by adding water first and then concentration is Long Black, and what is made by adding concentration first and then water is Americano.” I believe everyone can often see this kind of popular science. On Front Street, I often see some friends in coffee shops using this kind of content to identify whether the coffee shop’s products are American or long black.
But~~~actually...the order in which water is added is not the key to distinguishing the two. Most coffee shops produce Americano coffee, but everyone is more accustomed to making it in the order of pouring water first and then pouring concentrate. The reason is also very simple. This allows the golden oil to float on the liquid surface, making the coffee more appetizing and making people think it tastes good.
Not only that, Front Street looked through past information and found that there is actually no clear order of pouring water and concentration in making American coffee, which means that any order is fine. But long black coffee has some particularities in this regard, that is, pour water first and then pour the concentrate. Although the purpose is also to retain the integrity of the oil, the fundamental reason is more that the oil can increase the dense taste.
Therefore, Front Street speculates that the reason why there is a saying that the American style and long black are distinguished by the order of pouring water and concentration is that people want to find more distinguishing points, so they came up with it. And because it is too simple and easy to remember, this saying quickly spread. In fact, the biggest difference between Americano and Long Black is their concentration.
We all know that whether it is American or Long black, it is composed of espresso and water. Special blended beans are usually preferred for making espresso. For beginners in the learning stage, it is recommended to buy the Front Street Classic Blend and the Front Street Commercial Blend. They both highlight the rich oil and mellow coffee taste, making it easier to get started. Friends who are afraid of hardship can buy the Front Street Strawberry Candy espresso, which is a Geisha blend with its own floral and fruity aroma. The aroma is delicate, sour and sweet, and is very suitable for girls to taste.
American Coffee Front Street has shared it many times, so here Front Street will briefly introduce Long Black Coffee. Long black coffee is a type of black coffee that was born in Australia. There, people use Black Coffee to refer to black coffee without adding anything except water, and then use White Coffee to refer to coffee with milk added.
However, because there are many styles of coffee, such a simple name will inevitably cause misunderstanding. Therefore, Australians will give a cup of coffee a name that is different from other coffees based on certain characteristics of it. For example, Australian White is named Flat White because the milk foam is so thin that it is even with the mouth of the cup. Then they will call Espresso Short Black. After adding an appropriate amount of water, due to the increase in weight, Short Black evolves into Long Black.
Well, having said that, as mentioned in front of the street, the biggest difference between Americano coffee and long black coffee is the concentration. Americano coffee generally adds more water to dilute the coffee concentration. This is because Americans are used to drinking drip coffee with lower concentration, so the taste is lighter and they cannot accept coffee with too high concentration. Therefore, more water is needed to dilute the taste of the coffee. Generally speaking, the ratio of espresso and water used to make Americano is more than 1:4.
The concentration of Changhei is thicker. Front Street has shared in previous Australian white-related tweets that Australians have a stronger taste preference, so whether it is "white coffee" or "black coffee" in Australia, its flavor concentration will be higher than our common Italian coffee such as Americano and latte.
Generally speaking, the ratio of long black coffee will be around 1:3, that is, if you are using 36~40ml double espresso, the amount of water added will be around 120ml.
Take Front Street as an example. Front Street uses the medium-roasted Italian blend of Front Street Strawberry Candy and Espresso to make a cup of Long Black and American respectively. The ratio used by Changhei is 1:3, which is 40ml of espresso with 120ml of water. The ratio used by American style is 1:4, that is, 40ml of espresso with 160ml of water.
The overall taste of Changhei is relatively strong. We can taste the expression of strawberry, citrus, and caramel, and the taste is relatively thick; while the concentration of American style is relatively low, so its taste will be lighter, and the taste and flavor are not so concentrated. We can capture more flavor expressions. In addition to strawberry, citrus, and caramel, we can also taste fresher flavors such as white flowers, oolong tea, etc.
In general, the main difference between Changhei and American style is not the order of adding water and concentration, but their concentration, and the difference in texture and taste caused by the concentration. But since each has its own advantages, there is no need to compare the two~
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
