How to Pronounce Affogato Coffee? Is Starbucks' Affogato Pronounced "Afagito" or "Afujato"?

If there's one food that can shoulder the heavy responsibility of being a "summer lifesaver," then FrontStreet Coffee believes that role undoubtedly belongs to ice cream. And in the world of coffee, there's a classic dessert made by pouring espresso over ice cream—it's the Affogato!

In Italian, "Affogato" means "drowned," so most people's understanding of this name describes the scene of ice cream being drowned in espresso. But because it also means "suffocating," some interpret it as referring to how delicious this coffee dessert is—it's breathtakingly good.

Regardless of how you interpret it, the Affogato is truly delightful. The reason lies in how the sweetness of ice cream perfectly intertwines with the rich bitterness of espresso, creating strong contrasts. One bite gives you a smooth, cooling sensation alongside an intense sensory冲击 from the conflicting flavors.

Thanks to its unique taste experience and coffee dessert status, the Affogato has gained widespread popularity among coffee lovers worldwide. Moreover, different regions have developed variations incorporating local specialty ingredients.

How to Make a Breathtakingly Delicious Affogato

But what FrontStreet Coffee wants to share today isn't some exclusive Affogato recipe, but rather how to make the most basic and classic version of an Affogato. This is because most exclusive variations of the Affogato are built upon the classic version by adding ingredients, so mastering the fundamentals is crucial.

It's worth noting that we shouldn't underestimate making a classic Affogato. Although it appears to be simply pouring espresso over ice cream, in reality, the choices of ice cream and coffee, the utensils used, and the proportions—all these details are crucial for creating an exceptional Affogato. If not handled properly, you might end up with a coffee "drink" that tastes awkward, has inferior texture, or lacks any cooling sensation. Therefore, we should be somewhat "particular" to ensure we can create a breathtakingly delicious—Affogato!

First is the choice of ice cream. If you frequently have Affogatos outside, you'll notice that the vast majority of Affogato ice cream flavors are vanilla, rather than other popular flavors like chocolate, mocha, or strawberry.

This is because the aroma and taste (sweetness) of vanilla ice cream are just right—it doesn't clash awkwardly with coffee's bitterness while not overly masking coffee's flavor expression (relatively speaking). Compared to other flavored ice creams that might have bitterness, acidity, or stronger aromas that could easily overshadow coffee's performance, vanilla ice cream can better showcase coffee's characteristics. This is precisely why vanilla ice cream has become the standard recipe in the classic version. (Of course, it's also because of its broader versatility.)

Next is the choice of coffee beans. The roast level of coffee beans determines whether the extracted coffee's main flavor is bitter or acidic. When making Affogatos, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using medium-dark to dark roast coffee beans for espresso extraction. Why? Because compared to the fresh fruity acidity of light roasts, the rich, caramelized aroma of dark roasts is more suitable for making Affogatos.

There are two reasons. First, dark roast coffee's aroma is more prominent and less likely to be masked by the ice cream's flavor. Second, only bitter espresso can create a strong contrast with the ice cream's sweetness, forming a unique taste experience. Light roast espresso, with its overly concentrated acidity, results in an awkward taste experience when mixed with ice cream—the ice cream's sweetness cannot balance the coffee's acidity. Therefore, compared to light roast beans, espresso extracted from dark roast beans is more suitable for making Affogatos.

Then there's the ratio of ice cream to espresso! For Affogatos, the ratio is also crucial. Because the temperature difference between espresso and ice cream is significant, too much espresso will cause the ice cream to melt excessively, easily turning it into a coffee-flavored "drink"; too little espresso won't "drown" the ice cream, and you'll end up with just ice cream left. So choosing the right ratio is very important!

Through testing, FrontStreet Coffee found that a ratio of 2-2.5:1 (ice cream to coffee) works best! The coffee won't excessively melt the ice cream while ensuring the espresso doesn't run out before the ice cream is finished—from start to finish, every bite can enjoy the perfect fusion of espresso and ice cream.

Finally, there's a tip from coffee expert James Hoffmann, author of "The World Atlas of Coffee," who shared in his video: when making Affogatos, it's best to chill the cup in advance—essentially, using a frozen cup. This effectively reduces ice cream melting, allowing us to enjoy more deliciousness on our palate.

Of course, if you have enough time, you could also follow the popular online Affogato method of making a hole in the middle of the ice cream in the cup and pouring the espresso into the hole. This creates a different effect from the conventional method—both delicious and visually appealing.

Conclusion

Above are some details to pay attention to when making Affogatos. As for the actual preparation, there's not much to say—once the ingredients are ready, you just pour them into the cup. Of course, you can also adjust the ingredients according to your preferences—sprinkle cookie crumbs, drizzle caramel sauce, add sweet wine, or even add soy sauce. FrontStreet Coffee is just introducing how to make a classic version of the Affogato; we're not saying this is the only way to make it.

Important Notice :

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