Why isn't Piccolo Latte popular in China? What are the flavor characteristics of piccolo coffee?

Introduction to Piccolo Latte

In Australia, Flat White and Piccolo Latte are equally popular coffee beverages. In China, while Flat White has become ubiquitous in coffee shops everywhere, Piccolo Latte is rarely found in cafés. FrontStreet Coffee is here today to talk about Piccolo Latte.

If you visit a café in Australia, whether you say "Piccolo," "Piccolo coffee," or "Piccolo latte," you're referring to the same coffee—the piccolo coffee. In English, "piccolo" means a small flute, but in Italian, it means "small," so piccolo coffee essentially means a small latte.

The Origin of Piccolo Coffee

The emergence of piccolo coffee is said to be related to baristas adjusting their espresso recipes. As you know, baristas need to adjust their espresso recipes daily to meet the day's quality standards. The most basic testing involves making a black coffee and a milk coffee (latte) to try the compatibility between coffee and milk. Adjustment isn't a one-time process; often, multiple adjustments are needed to meet standards. If baristas had to make a standard latte for every adjustment, they would only take a sip or two from each cup, and the rest would be discarded, resulting in significant waste.

The Making and Characteristics of Piccolo Coffee

So they came up with a solution: proportionally reduce the cup size and make a miniature version of a latte. This way, it maintains the flavor of a latte without wasting ingredients. When sold as a beverage in Australian cafés, piccolo coffee has some specifications: the cup size is 90ml (approximately 3 ounces). Slightly lighter roasted blended coffee beans are used, with a single shot of Ristretto (about 15ml) for the coffee part, and 75ml of steamed milk with a thin layer of milk foam.

Therefore, the characteristics of piccolo coffee are quite distinct. Its small cup size means you can taste the fusion of coffee and milk without worrying about feeling full. Typically, piccolo coffee also features simple latte art on the surface. You might think latte art doesn't represent much, but FrontStreet Coffee wants to tell you that creating a beautiful pattern in such a small cup requires impeccable coffee quality, milk quality, milk foam skills, and blending techniques—all essential.

Why Isn't Piccolo Coffee Popular in China?

The popularity of Flat White and Piccolo Latte across Australia is partly due to their coffee culture. As for why Flat White could cross oceans and become popular in China, FrontStreet Coffee believes Starbucks played a significant role. In 2015, a beverage called "馥芮白" (Fùruìbái) was launched in major stores across China, which is actually Starbucks' version of Flat White.

Without such an opportunity, piccolo coffee suffered from low exposure. Without awareness, there was no promotion.

The second reason is the culture of coffee consumption markets. In many foreign countries, coffee consumption truly centers around coffee itself—customers buy coffee, drink it, and leave. In contrast, coffee shops in China have social attributes and provide spaces for relaxation. Obviously, the small cup size of piccolo coffee doesn't fit within this range of choices.

The third reason concerns value. If they're similar milk-based coffees, people still tend to choose larger ones at the same price point. So why not sell piccolo coffee a bit cheaper? It's possible, but for businesses, if it sells well, it would lower the average transaction value; if it doesn't sell well, there's no need to introduce it.

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