What is Black Coffee? What is White Coffee? Where Does Flat White Originate? What Are the Characteristics of Flat White?

Black coffee is a professional term that we are all familiar with. It generally refers to pure coffee that does not add any materials that can affect the taste, except for water. Pour-over coffee, cold drip coffee, Americano... all belong to the family of black coffee. But since we're talking about "black," it naturally makes people think of "white." After all, black and white have always been inseparable throughout history. With black coffee, it makes one wonder if there is such a thing as white coffee.

And indeed there is! It's just that the concept of white coffee is not as widely known as black coffee, and its reference is more extensive, so few people use it.

So what exactly does white coffee refer to? Currently, there are two main interpretations of "white coffee." FrontStreet Coffee will first introduce the one we're more familiar with, which is also the most popular explanation online: the terms "black coffee" and "white coffee" both originate from Australia. This is because in most Australian cafes, coffee is mainly divided into these two categories. For example, "black coffee" - Australians call espresso "Short Black," which means small black coffee; while Short Black with a certain amount of water added, which would be called "Americano" elsewhere, is named "Long Black" there, translating to "long black," which we can understand as meaning large black coffee. So you can see that Australians' thinking is quite simple: however simple it can be.

White coffee follows the same principle, just not as extreme (in terms of naming)! In Australia, white coffee refers to coffee with milk added. Whether it's a latte or cappuccino, these coffees with milk added all belong to "White Coffee." Among these white coffees, one product stands out from other traditional Italian milk coffees. With the promotion of well-known chains, its spread has been incredibly rapid, and it soon appeared on the menus of major specialty coffee shops. It made people initially aware of the existence of white coffee, so in many people's minds, "white coffee" refers to it! So, FrontStreet Coffee asks: have you guessed what it is?

That's right! It's the "Flat White."

"Flat White" translates to the term "Flat White." Names like Ping Bai, Xiao Bai, Fu Rui Bai, Chun Yi Bai, Ao Rui Bai all come from translations of this word. Because no matter the name, it cannot escape the word "white," so it has left many people with a deep impression of "white coffee." Since FrontStreet Coffee often shares the making of Flat White, interested friends can search for previous articles. FrontStreet Coffee will only give a brief introduction here: Flat White is a localized Italian milk coffee in Australia. Because Australians prefer a stronger coffee flavor but don't want to drink overly heavy bitterness, they created a "high concentration, low extraction" (compared to the original espresso) version of espresso - Ristretto.

Because Ristretto does not extract the substances from the later stage, the entire cup of coffee has a very rich sweetness, strong but not bitter. Paired with a small amount of milk with silky foam, it not only highlights the coffee's flavor but also enhances the overall richness! Fragrant, sweet, rich, and silky - these are precisely the characteristics of Flat White. Therefore, it can distinguish itself from other traditional Italian coffees and become a favorite for some friends.

So the above is one relatively traditional interpretation of white coffee. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share another "white coffee" - a white coffee that is a century-old specialty of Malaysia!

Malaysian White Coffee

In Malaysia, white coffee can be said to be one of the most representative food culture symbols. Although it also refers to coffee with milk added, more often, it refers to a specific local coffee product. This product is said to have been invented by Chinese immigrants to Malaysia, and its ingredients are very particular. How particular? It uses three types of beans for blending! But these three beans don't refer to coffee beans from different regions, but rather a blend of three different species of coffee beans: Liberica, Arabica, and Robusta.

After blending, they are roasted until the beans become shiny, then removed from the roaster. After cooling, the soluble substances of the coffee are extracted, and then materials such as sugar and creamer are added, finally made into powder for easy coffee preparation at any time. Reading this, I believe everyone has discovered the true identity of this white coffee - that's right! It's instant coffee! In Malaysia, this instant product named "white coffee" is a major local specialty. Almost every small shop is equipped with this white coffee, because locals have long regarded coffee as a daily necessity. Thanks to this, when we travel to Malaysia, we don't need to deliberately visit a specific cafe, because this specialty can be found everywhere, allowing us to taste this unique delicacy at any time!

Conclusion

In summary, we can know that the "white" in white coffee mainly refers to dairy products, and white coffee primarily refers to coffee with dairy products added~

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