A Guide to Properly Enjoying Italian Coffee! How to Drink Espresso? Why Should Dirty Coffee Be Drunk in Large Gulps?

The Unique Characteristics of Coffee

"Specialty" refers to a distinct style or form that sets one thing apart from others. When something possesses qualities that others don't, we can call this a "specialty." It's precisely because of this uniqueness that Italian coffee has been able to develop so many varieties. Each category contains several similar individual variations, such as lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, and dirty coffees under the Italian milk coffee category. Although they may look similar on the surface, each has its own distinct characteristics. For example, lattes are the sweetest, flat whites the most aromatic, cappuccinos the richest, and dirty coffees have layered complexity.

To experience the different characteristics of these various products, we need not only to modify the coffee preparation methods but also to make certain adjustments to how we taste them. Yes! This is indeed the case. Because some coffee preparations require special tasting methods to showcase their unique qualities, if we don't consume them in the right way, we might not be able to appreciate the distinctive flavors of that coffee the moment it enters our mouths. Therefore, the way we drink coffee also has specific differences. So today, FrontStreet Coffee will share the proper ways to enjoy different types of coffee!

1. Milk Coffee with Thick Milk Foam

Many friends are accustomed to taking small sips when drinking coffee. As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned previously, because flat whites have very thin milk foam, you can directly taste the coffee itself. Even when sipped slowly, you can appreciate the deliciousness of a flat white. However, milk coffees with thick foam like lattes and cappuccinos are different. Because the milk foam is quite thick, if you take small sips, you might only taste the oil foam floating on the surface.

This layer of oil foam is mainly composed of the crema from espresso and milk foam. Since the oil contains many extremely fine particles that carry bitter flavors, it tastes bitter. If we take a small sip and only taste this surface foam, the bitterness will spread throughout our mouths due to these fine particles.

Therefore, if we don't want to experience the bitterness of these fine particles, we might consider slightly increasing the tilt angle of the coffee cup. Simply put, take larger sips to break through the milk foam and directly taste the coffee liquid. This way, the bitterness of the foam will be overridden by the coffee's flavor, and the coffee will also have the creamy texture of the foam. This is the unique characteristic of "thick milk foam coffee."

2. Layered Coffee

Many coffees develop distinct layers after preparation due to human operation or density differences. For example, espresso! The crema and coffee in espresso separate quickly after extraction due to significant density differences.

In such cases, we need to use a spoon to blend them before tasting! Without thorough stirring, even if one sip contains both crema and coffee liquid, the bitterness of the espresso crema and the intense flavor of the coffee liquid will remain separate rather than integrated, creating a disjointed experience. Ordinary shaking cannot evenly incorporate the crema into the coffee liquid, so we need to use a spoon or other utensil for stirring. Only then should we taste the espresso. Well-stirred espresso offers a harmonious flavor profile - the bitterness of the crema not only balances the intensity of the coffee liquid but also provides richness and a creamy texture, making it more pleasant to drink without any abrupt flavors.

In addition to espresso, some businesses intentionally create layered effects in coffee for better visual presentation, such as iced lattes or other specialty coffee drinks. These coffees with intentionally created visual layering also need to be stirred before consumption, otherwise it's easy for one ingredient to be consumed first, causing the entire coffee to lose its combined significance. Therefore, for these coffees deliberately created for visual effects, it's best to stir first, then drink.

3. Coffee Requiring Large Sips

The previous discussion covered coffees with layering intentionally created for visual effects, which might make many friends think of Dirty coffee. However, Dirty is completely different - it doesn't need stirring. Why? Because its characteristic is precisely the layering.

Hot espresso and cold milk, sweet milk and bitter espresso - this is the special experience Dirty aims to provide. To appreciate this characteristic, we cannot stir to blend the espresso and milk. Additionally, we shouldn't take small sips, as this would also cause the coffee floating on the surface to be consumed first, leaving only a large amount of milk. Therefore, for a special coffee like Dirty, the correct way to drink is: take large sips! With one big sip, both espresso and milk enter your mouth together, and their contrast is directly displayed in your palate. Not just Dirty, but Con Panna is the same - they both need to be consumed in large sips! At the same time, as you continue drinking, the flavor of the coffee in the cup changes as the ingredients blend more, creating a very rich layered experience.

Conclusion

After all this discussion, I believe everyone now has a clear understanding! Different coffees require different drinking methods according to their unique characteristics, and under different drinking methods, coffee may exhibit completely different performances. Therefore, trying a different approach is always worth exploring~

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473