The Characteristics of Piccolo Latte Popular in Sydney, Australia: How to Make Australian Short Piccolo Latte

Nowadays, when we walk into coffee shops, we can see all kinds of beverages. Just the combination of milk and coffee alone has numerous varieties: latte, cappuccino, flat white, dirty, piccolo... The first four types are believed to be well-known to everyone, but what exactly is this seemingly "niche" piccolo?

Piccolo Coffee Also Known as "Small Latte"

Australians are deeply influenced by Italian coffee culture. Baristas have combined local taste preferences to create unparalleled coffee beverages based on traditional Italian espresso, such as the Flat White that was "popularized" by Starbucks. Unlike Flat White, piccolo coffee is more compact and mini, with only half the cup size of a latte, so it can be finished in just two or three sips.

Piccolo latte is translated from "piccolo latte," where "piccolo" means the piccolo instrument in English, but means "small" in Italian. The emergence of piccolo came about because when coffee bean roasters and baristas were testing and adjusting, they would taste coffee by drinking espresso alone and mixed with milk to determine if it met standards. Since regular lattes have large serving sizes, they would be discarded after a couple of sips. Baristas didn't want to waste it, so they reduced the milk ratio. It gradually evolved into a mini version of latte coffee, making it a good choice for those who don't want to consume too much caffeine or feel overly full.

What Are the Specifics of Making Australian-Style Piccolo Coffee?

Baristas have some debates about the recipe for making piccolo. Some believe that piccolo consists of espresso and a small amount of frothed milk, while other baristas insist it should be made with ristretto and a small amount of frothed milk foam. Today, there is no fixed ratio in the industry, so piccolo coffee is derived based on the flavor profile of the coffee beans used and the barista's understanding of piccolo coffee.

The flavor of coffee comes from the coffee beans used. The espresso coffee served at FrontStreet Coffee's store is extracted from FrontStreet Coffee's own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans," composed of 70% Honduras Sherry coffee and 30% Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry coffee. The whiskey, vanilla, and cream flavors of sherry combined with the tropical fruit and fermentation notes of red cherry create a rich and smooth mouthfeel in the cup.

FrontStreet Coffee makes piccolo using a small cup of about 90-100ml, with a coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:5, preheated to ensure the best drinking experience. Here, a single shot of Ristretto is used as the base. Ristretto means "restricted" in Italian, also called restricted espresso, typically taking only the front and middle sections of Espresso, making it taste stronger with more concentrated flavors. FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 28 grams of coffee liquid in 20-25 seconds, with a single Ristretto being 14 grams, poured into the cup first.

The milk frothing part requires more attention, as less milk is harder to froth. FrontStreet Coffee chooses a 350ml milk pitcher and pours in 100ml of milk. Piccolo latte doesn't need the flat white effect of being level with the cup rim, so it retains a foam layer similar to latte, about 0.3-0.5cm thick. The milk frothing temperature is controlled between 55°C-60°C to ensure it won't burn the mouth when drinking. It should be mixed with Ristretto as evenly as possible, starting to pour latte art when seven-tenths full. Piccolo tastes best when consumed immediately after being made.

How to Drink Piccolo Coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee's piccolo presents aromas of vanilla, cream, chocolate milk, whiskey-filled chocolates, as well as berry sweetness and tartness. The coffee flavor is full-bodied, the milk is smooth and fragrant, and the aftertaste is remarkably long-lasting.

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, piccolo coffee comes in a very small cup, mainly to highlight the flavor characteristics of the coffee beans, suitable for slowly savoring the charm in the coffee. When tasting, FrontStreet Coffee first gently smells the faint aroma emitted by the espresso liquid supported by milk. From the first sip, let the coffee liquid fill the mouth, feeling the texture of the milk foam and the thickness of the coffee. After drinking, feel the aftertaste remaining in the mouth, and finally drink some water, as the sweet aftertaste gradually becomes clear.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473