Flat White, directly translated as flat white coffee, andAustralian White, Aorui white, Fuli white and other different names, it is one of the very popular drinks in coffee shops in recent years. This article on Front Street will talk about this trendy drink, Flat White.
Flat WhiteHow it evolved
Regarding the origin of Australian white, Australians and New Zealanders both insist that it originated from their respective countries. Although we can’t say for certain where Flat White was born, one thing we can confirm is thatFlat Whitewas born from consumers' higher pursuit of coffee quality.
From the instant era to the Italian espresso era, consumers are looking for some coffee drinks that are different from cappuccino. At that time, the top layer of cappuccino had at least three centimeters of "hamburger-shaped" milk foam, so everyone hoped to make the milk foam flatter (Flat), resulting in a latte with a balanced taste. When the milk foam on the milk coffee becomes flatter and flatter, until it becomes a thin layer that is completely flush with the rim of the cup, today's Flat White is born.
From the initial lack of attention, the Australians put Flat White on the permanent menu of cafes in the 1980s, and soon it quickly became a standard drink in cafes in the United States and other places. Flat White has become a popular product in China because Starbucks introduced it in 2015 and named it "Flat White" as one of its flagship drinks, which means that this milk coffee has become mainstream.
presented in different waysFlat White
The Australian white coffee presented in each coffee shop is different because different countries (different baristas) have different understandings of Australian white coffee. Let's go back to the original intention of its birth: the barista hopes that when everyone drinks Australian White, they can drink the perfect combination of milk foam and milk coffee underneath in every sip. Only when the milk foam is very dense, thin, and the temperature is suitable for the mouth, can you drink the milk foam and fragrant coffee liquid at the same time in every sip, and drink it up quickly before the milk foam separates. This also leads to the basic characteristics of Australian white: dense and thin milk foam, moderate temperature, coffee flavor that cannot be masked, and consistent taste.
The Australian white produced by New Zealand baristas is presented in a coffee cup smaller than a latte (about 150ml), and the base is uniformly double concentrated. In this way, as the amount of milk decreases, the proportion of coffee increases, and the coffee flavor naturally becomes stronger.
As baristas continue to improve their extraction techniques, in order to more perfectly express the aroma of Australian white and medium-sized coffee beans, Melbourne coffee shops will also replace the base with a double Ristretto, incorporating milk foam about the same thickness as a latte into a 150ml cup. Ristretto refers to an espresso with less liquid weight extracted from the same amount of powder. It can be said to be a smaller version of espresso. It is more concentrated in the front and middle parts of the extraction and has a richer taste. Therefore, higher quality requirements are required for the coffee beans used.
However, in Australia, baristas believe that it is enough to keep the milk foam thinner than that of a latte. When they produce Australian White, they use a cup with the same capacity as a latte, emphasizing more on the difference in the thickness of the milk foam.
As for the thickness of the milk foam, it is one of the main reference factors for us to distinguish Australian White from other milk coffees. Thin milk foam is to allow better drinking of the coffee liquid, emphasizing the smooth and smooth "velvet" texture. Some baristas hope that the Australian white they produce will not be affected by the taste of fat, and even filter out the milk foam layer, leaving only the coffee liquid. Therefore, there was no fixed numerical indicator in the early days as to how thin the milk foam layer should be.
As this drink becomes more and more popular, in order to distinguish it from regular hot latte and cappuccino, the thickness of the thin milk foam of Australian White is defined to be about 0.3cm~0.5cm. The thinner the milk foam, the easier it is for the milk to sink to the bottom when fused. There is not enough milk foam to support the liquid level, causing the white milk foam to "scurry around", and the more difficult it is to make latte art. This is why some baristas choose not to latte art. But it's a different matter for highly skilled baristas. As long as they hold the title, they can produce exquisite patterns even with thin milk foam.
Therefore, each coffee shop will present a unique Australian style based on its own preferences and skills, combined with the characteristics of its own coffee beans and its understanding of Australian white. The Nuanyang blended Italian beans used by Front Street have a softer taste. In order to bring out the rich aroma of coffee, a double Ristretto is used as the base and is produced in 200ml cups.
Recommended coffee beans made by Front Street Flat White
Front Street noticed that many friends who like milk coffee want to reproduce the delicious Flat White coffee at home. The flavor of Flat White mainly depends on the Italian coffee beans we use. Therefore, if you want to make a delicious Flat White, you cannot do without the rich aroma of Espresso.
We recommend Front Street Classic Italian Blend Coffee, which is a recipe made from three origins: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It uses deep roasting, which can highlight the mellow aroma of coffee to the greatest extent, and also allows everyone to easily extract the rich and dense coffee oil. It is very suitable for making American style diluted with water or latte with milk. You can buy it at Front Street Taobao store or Front Street Tmall flagship store.
In addition to the classic Italian blends with a strong style, Qian Street’s Italian coffee bean list also has three cost-effective blends of coffee beans. The mellow taste and rich aroma are also suitable for making Australian white coffee. Front Street's blended product, which has undergone many comparisons and tests, covers high-quality flavors from different coffee producing areas and is also conducive to the stability of extraction.
1. Classic and full-bodied type - Front Street commercial blended coffee beans
Robusta washed coffee beans + Colombian washed coffee beans + Brazilian semi-dried coffee
Espresso has rich golden oil and nutty aroma. After being fused with milk, the Flat White will have a burnt coffee bitterness when tasted, but it will be accompanied by a more creamy and full taste. After swallowing, the bitterness will also dissipate, leaving a fragrant aroma on the lips and teeth.
2. Slightly acidic and mellow type - Front Street black cocoa blend (100% Arabica) coffee beans
Yunnan washed arabica coffee beans + Brazilian semi-sun-dried coffee beans
Yunnan arabica coffee has a soft acidity paired with the mellow aroma of Brazilian Cerado coffee. The espresso coffee has a taste of caramel, nuts, and soft plum sourness.
3. Balanced aroma - Front Street premium blend of 100% Arabica coffee beans
Colombian washed coffee beans + Brazilian semi-sun-dried coffee beans
Adding Colombian coffee to the nutty tone of classic Brazilian coffee, the espresso presents a dark chocolate flavor, caramel sweetness, and a full roasting aroma.
Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style)
For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: qjcoffeex
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
