Coffee flat white: history and features of the "Australian" recipe

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Perhaps, according to the number of fans with him, only tea can compare. The history of dating people with arabica and robusta grains has more than a thousand years, and it is quite natural that hundreds of different ways of making coffee have been invented for such a long time .

Today, classic and most famous recipes include espresso, cappuccino and latte. However, lovers of drinking coffee with milk probably know a variety called "flat white". So they call it similar to the traditional, but in its own way the original recipe. Coffee flat white, also known as "Australian", to taste is a cross between espresso and cappuccino.

History of the drink

Invented this recipe was relatively recently, in the 80s of the XX century. The authorship of coffee flat white is often attributed to the barista from New Zealand, Derek Townsend. It was he who came up with a version in which, thanks to the addition of foamed milk, the bitterness of espresso does not disappear completely, but becomes much softer. However, the drink still gets stronger than a classic cappuccino.

The Australian recipe is the result of a long and careful selection of the ideal ratio of espresso and milk. Perhaps that is why flat white immediately fell to the taste of coffee lovers and soon gained popularity in the author's homeland, and then all over the world. Today, a drink prepared with this recipe is present in the menu of many establishments.

As for the name, it is most often explained by cooking techniques. Milk, whipped in an elastic foam, forms an even surface, so the recipe and became known as "flat white", i.e. "flat white".

Composition

Of great importance for the taste characteristics of the beverage is the quality of the grains from which the flat white (coffee) is made. The composition of the mixture should ideally contain several varieties of arabica. It is this kind that combines a rich aroma and mild flavor, while the robusta grains are more bitter and sourish. It is desirable that the mixture has an average degree of roasting and fine grinding.

Coffee houses often experiment with a recipe, increasing either the content of espresso or the amount of milk. But there is also the most popular ratio of ingredients. Flat white - coffee, which is most often prepared on the basis of a single portion of doppio (double espresso with a standard volume of 60 ml) and 120 ml of foamed milk.

The differences between flat white and latte and cappuccino

It may seem that flat white does not differ much from well-known cappuccino and latte. Moreover, the latter is often served in institutions under the guise of "Australian" coffee. These drinks are really similar, mainly due to the presence of milk foam in the recipe, but the latte has a smaller strength. In addition, their appearance and mode of delivery differ.

Flat white - coffee, which is traditionally prepared in a thick-walled porcelain cup. This does not confuse it with the latte, which is usually served in a glass glass "Airish". Also, flat white is distinguished by the presence of snow-white foam, whereas in the same cappuccino the surface is most often light brown in color. There is another characteristic feature - the volume of whipped milk. The foam layer in the coffee flat white is much thinner than in the latte, its height is no more than a centimeter.

Features of preparation

Experienced barista willingly share the secrets of the ideal flat white (coffee). The recipe for its preparation is quite simple. The main thing is the excellent quality of the ingredients used, their correct ratio and observance of several subtleties in the process.

First of all, attention should be paid to the properties of milk foam. It should be sufficiently dense, finely porous, elastic, with a smooth and glossy surface. To get a foam with this consistency, it is recommended to beat the milk at a temperature of 65-70 ° C, but do not boil it. This is a very important condition, since in order to ensure that the taste of the drink is fully disclosed, it should not be too hot when served.

The quality of the resulting coffee is a good indicator of the professional skills of a barista. It takes a lot of experience to get a perfectly dense and velvety foam, and before serving, decorate it with a skillful latte-art.

Recipe

Enjoy a perfectly balanced taste of the drink can be in any good coffee shop. However, in the presence of special techniques at home, this recipe can be mastered on its own. For the preparation of flat white you will need:

• Blend of several varieties of fine Arabica;
• purified water;
• Milk with medium fat content.

The basis of the drink can be made in not only in a special machine, but also in a coffee machine with the "espresso" mode. For one serving of flat white, you need 2 tablespoons of the mixture. After the doppio is ready, it must be poured into a porcelain mug with thick walls.

Then it takes 120 ml of milk, heated to about 70 ° C. It must be beaten so that a thick foam forms from half the volume. Then the milk must be carefully combined with the doppio. Coffee flat is ready.

Experienced baristas often advise their customers to try this recipe. All because it is better than others allows you to appreciate the rich aroma of freshly roasted arabica in combination with a delicate milky foam. Flat white is sure to please those who prefer strong coffee, because it is the pronounced espresso mustard, only slightly tinted with creamy taste, is the main feature of this drink.