Many baristas will inexplicably reach a consensus: if you want to identify the quality of a cafe, just order a cup of Australian White. If the Australian White is good, other coffees will basically be above the standard. When asked why, these baristas replied: Because this is the milk coffee that is most likely to make mistakes.
The most controversial espresso
Australian White can be said to be a coffee with no final conclusion from its origin to its production. As for the true origin of Australian white, there are still different opinions in Australia and New Zealand, but no matter who invented it, we only need to know that it is a cup of milk coffee from the southern hemisphere.
As for the definition, Obai also has no clear concept, so each cafe has its own "exclusive secret recipe", but no matter how it changes, it generally depends on three key points: less milk, thin milk foam, and strong coffee flavor. When making it, the barista will reduce the milk and control the thin milk foam to highlight the aroma of the coffee beans. Therefore, compared to the latte, the Australian White is not only a smaller cup, but also has a stronger coffee flavor and a thicker texture. It sounds more like an "advanced version of the latte."
It’s difficult to control the thickness of milk foam
Like latte and cappuccino, Australian milk foam pursues smoothness and fineness, but the difference is that it also needs to be thin.
Anyone who has frothed milk knows that controlling the thickness of milk foam depends on the air intake time (air intake amount) of the steam wand. The cappuccino with the thickest milk foam needs to support a bulge of at least 1.5cm high, so the air intake time required for frothing milk is the longest, about 4 to 5 seconds; latte pursues a balanced taste and will be controlled at a thickness of 0.5 to 1cm, and the air intake time is about 2 to 4 seconds;
Since the milk foam of Australian White is light and thin, the air intake time must not be too long, otherwise it will easily turn into a latte, and you will not be able to feel more coffee oil in the first sip. In order to allow customers to drink Australian white that is as smooth as cream but not too watery, the thickness of the milk foam produced by Front Street is uniformly 0.3cm.
In this case, you generally only need to inhale air for 1 to 2 seconds. After making two "squeak" sounds, you can let the steam wand sink into the milk, and then create a vortex as quickly as possible to whip the milk until the temperature reaches 50 to 55°C. Due to the small amount of air intake, we will hear a harsh sound during the whipping process. When the latte art vat is shaken, the bubbles will appear reflective, which means the milk froth is qualified.
Because the milk foam is thin, it is difficult to draw flowers.
There is a saying on our front street that an editor who cannot latte art is not a good barista. Even if every cup of coffee cannot be exquisite and beautiful, he must ensure that the flower shape is correct and the pattern is clear before it can be produced. And Australian White is the coffee with the highest latte art failure rate.
As mentioned before, the milk foam of Australian White is the thinnest. Its purpose is to allow us to better feel the taste experience brought by the fusion of coffee and milk. However, in terms of production, the thinner the milk foam means the less supporting surface of the upper layer. When fused, the milk liquid will sink to the bottom more easily. The foam will float everywhere with the flow of the liquid, which will lead to the consequences of the pattern being deformed during latte art.
Because of this, the Australian whites made by many baristas usually do not have complex patterns, but more simple patterns. Only contestants or high-level players will show their talents in this aspect.
An even blend of milk and coffee
A good dish requires a good selection of ingredients, not to mention a reasonable combination. In the same way, excellent Australian white first requires good beans and matching milk, and the other is the fusion between the two.
Since Australian white does not cover up too much milk and highlights the coffee flavor, we can feel the quality and characteristics of the beans immediately. Careful coffee shops will also select milk based on the style of their own Italian beans, and then go through many adjustments to get the best ratio.
For example, when we use Front Street Fine Italian Blend to make Australian White, we will only use a double Ristretto from the front and middle sections as the base (the parameters are 20g coffee powder to extract 30g coffee liquid, the extraction time is 22-25 seconds), and then mix it with 160ml Guangming Fresh Milk.
When the concentrated and hot milk are ready, and then let the two mix evenly, Front Street will first gently inject the hot milk into the coffee, then raise the latte art vat to maintain a small water column, use the gravity of the milk liquid to evenly stir the oil in circles, then lower the latte art vat and forcefully push out the white lines. All steps are completed in one go, and a cup of Australian white is born.
The surface of the Australian white made in this way is smooth and the pattern is clean, indicating a high degree of integration. The latte art is still clearly visible at the end of the drink. The entrance temperature is moderate, and you can drink the roasted hazelnut, dark chocolate, and baked toast flavors brought by the 100% Arabica beans blended by Front Street. The rich aroma of oil is accompanied by a little sweetness of milk. It is mellow but not too bitter, and the overall layer is rich.
For more knowledge about specialty coffee, please pay attention to: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee）
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
