I don’t know if you have noticed that American coffee is often the first item on the menu of coffee shops, and the production rate is always the highest. As the coffee circle continues to "involve", people have begun to put unpopular coffees from various places on the menu, such as Long Black, which looks very similar to American coffee.
What exactly is Long Black coffee?
Long Black is translated as Australian black coffee. It also has another name "short black", which is the Australian name for black coffee diluted with espresso and water.
When Italian coffee was introduced to Australia, New Zealand and other countries, Australians loved this rich coffee very much, and various Australian coffee drinks were developed according to their tastes. For example, Starbucks' Flat White coffee is from Australia. The Australians make Long Black by extracting two parts of espresso (40g) and pouring it into a cup filled with 100-120ml of hot water. The liquid surface retains rich crema. The Long Black made in this way can have a rich coffee flavor and directly feel the taste of coffee oil.
A cup of Long Black is made from espresso and water. It is made from the same ingredients as American coffee, so it is often confused with it.
Where did Americano come from?
During World War II, American coalition troops consumed a large amount of coffee every day to relieve the monotonous life and at the same time improve the spirits of the soldiers. However, the Italians were used to drinking strong espresso, but the US military couldn't bear to drink such strong and bitter coffee, so they added water to the coffee liquid to dilute it to achieve a concentration acceptable to them. Later, in the cafes opened by Italians in the United States, they also "do as the locals do" and introduced "watered down coffee" based on espresso, which became very popular. Later, this kind of "watered coffee" was called "Americano". Due to its refreshing taste and affordable price, it is very popular in the coffee circle.
Is there any difference between Long Black and American style?
In order to distinguish Long Black from American style, many people think that in American style, you put the espresso first and then pour the water; while in Long Black, in order to retain the oil, you pour the water first and then the coffee. However, most baristas today do not worry about whether to add water or coffee first. In order to improve production efficiency, many stores fill the water first and then pour the coffee, so it is of little significance to emphasize this difference.
The most obvious difference between American and Long Black coffee is the amount of water added. Americano coffee generally adds more water, and the ratio of coffee to water is usually between 1:5-1:8. This is because Americans are accustomed to drinking drip coffee, which has a very low concentration and just a little coffee flavor. However, Australians pursue a stronger coffee flavor and use smaller-capacity cups. The proportion of water is also smaller, and the concentration is naturally higher.
Front Street believes that there is no fixed ratio for how much water needs to be added to Long Black. It is more about the barista's understanding of the flavor and tonality of the coffee beans, and the amount of water to be added is determined based on the flavor that he hopes to express. For example, the Americano coffee produced at the Front Street store is made from Sunflower Warm Sun blended coffee beans roasted by Front Street itself. The ideal extraction should have the flavor of wine, vanilla, cream, chocolate, and berry. In order to highlight these aromas, Front Street made many comparisons and finally determined the ratio of 1:3.
Prepare a cup of 100-120ml hot water at 80°C, and pour 40 grams of extracted coffee liquid onto the surface. Due to the different densities of espresso and water, the richness of a cup of coffee changes gradually without stirring. Therefore, Long Black is the richest and most mellow when you take the first sip. It also has a smooth taste brought by oil, and the subsequent flavor expression will be clearer and cleaner.
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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
