I have measured out my life in coffeespoons

[venta]

Oh dear, I think I just misinformed an Australian couple in a café :(

They wanted "flat whites". In England (particularly in branches of Pieminister, which do marvellous pies, but really only serve coffee as a sideline) we do not understand this term.

There was some confusion. Having (I thought) had the term explained to me by quantumboo last year, I suggested they wanted filter-coffee-with-milk. Sadly, I fear Quantumboo may have told me what a flat black was, and I extrapolated.

A flat white was, said the Australian lady, like a cappucino without the froth. Aha, said the English-not-first-language serving-person, a latte. No, said the Australian lady, nothing like a latte.

I think they got filter coffees in the end. But now Wikipedia suggests I'm wrong, and they're going to have got something not nearly milky enough. Wikipedia is also rather vague about the difference between a flat white and a latte.

Does anyone understand this posh foreign coffee stuff ? What would you understand by the term flat white ?

Comments

[pm215]

Workhouse Coffee (on the Oxford Road in Reading and my local coffee shop until I move this evening) includes a flat white in its menu (but then they have a number of obscure things). I'm pretty sure it matches what Wikipedia suggests. I don't think you're going to get that in a random coffee place unless you can describe how to make it (and the person behind the counter is willing to play along...)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Hmm. After chasing round Wikipedia's links, it seems that the difference between a flat white and a latte is whether or not you get 1/4" froth on the top. Is that really enough to make a fuss about ? Couldn't you (well not you, obviously, but someone who wanted a white flat) just order a latte ? Maybe say "hold the froth" ? Doesn't sound tricky to me.

[pm215]

Well, I wouldn't bother making a fuss, but then I'll happily drink anything short of straight espresso. But if I'd grown up in a country where 'flat white' was one of the standard coffee kinds I might well have ended up with that as my default coffee order, if you see what I mean.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I can understand them ordering it, and being confused when England didn't want to provide it. What I don't quite get is them describing it as "nothing like a latte", since research suggests it's actually very like a latte indeed.

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

It is like a proper Italian latte. It is nothing like a commercial latte. See also: pizza. :D

[venta.livejournal.com]

That's basically what Wikipedia said - sadly it also gave little hint as to the difference between the two. Can you elucidate ?

[pm215]

Oh, and I think a latte has more foamed milk (but less than a cappucino), whereas a flat white isn't foamy at all (hence 'flat', I guess).

[venta.livejournal.com]

Also: I'd try a coffee place if I wanted one. Not a pie shop!