Typically I make my own coffee at home, but every now and
then I like to order a fancier drink at a cafe on my way to work. When I do
this I typically stick to cappuccinos, because I don’t want to waste $4 on a
drink I don’t even like. Today I finally got around to trying one of Australia’s
proudest inventions: the Flat White.
I’d always been curious to try this drink, but not really
curious enough to deviate from cappuccinos or lattes. The name sounded kind of
gross – I like foam, so why would I want to drink scalding, flat milk? It also
didn’t help that I’d asked several Australian people to describe exactly what a
flat white is, and they never really could give me a definitive answer. “It’s
like a latte, but the foam is different”, “It’s sort of like a café au lait...I
think?” and “It’s similar to a cappuccino, but stronger” are explanations I’ve
heard over the last four years.
Having now tried one, I can say for certain: It’s a latte. It’s
nice, but it’s just a latte.
