Ever wondered what the different types of coffee which you find on the menu of a cafe’ generally mean. Well here is a guide to few basic names and the way they are prepared, though the preparation differs slightly from country to country, or region to region.
Espresso– An espresso is basically pure black coffee which has a bitter taste, and therefore its just for the ones who enjoy the taste of a pure black coffee. Boiling water is shoot under high pressure through finely ground up coffee beans to make an espresso shot.
Double Espresso (Doppio)– Now if you order an espresso in a caffe then it comes as a shot in a small espresso cup, but to enjoy it more you have to order a double espresso which simply means adding two shot of espresso to a cup.
Ristretto– A ristretto is an espresso shot that is extracted with the same amount of coffee but half the amount of water. This way the coffee extracted is more concentrated and darker than a regular espresso extraction. In short, it’s a stronger version of espresso.
Americano– Its a simple shot of espresso to which you add hot water. The ratio is generally 1:1.
Long Black– So Long black and Americano are almost the same, its just the preparation which is slightly different from the other. Long Black means adding water to the cup first before pouring the espresso on the top.
Macchiato– It similar to an espresso but with a dollop of steamed milk and foam which brings down the bitter taste of espresso. You can literately see the three layers floating on top of the other. It simply 1 Shot of espresso in a espresso cup with a dollop of steamed milk and foam placed on top of the espresso.
Cappuccino– One of the most widely loved coffee recipe is Cappuccino. Basically a cup of cappuccino consists of three layers in the order of espresso shot, steamed milk shot and a layer of froth milk to which chocolate powder is sprinkled for taste. But cappuccino is different from Macchiato, because even if the ingredients are same, the ratio of the three ingredients is different in both the recipes. A cup of Macchiato is strong and bitter in comparison to a cup of cappuccino.
Caffe Latte– “latte” as known commonly, is an espresso based drink with steamed milk and micro-foam added to the coffee. So its basically a shot of espresso with steamed milk and 1cm of foam milk on the top.
Flat White– Long black and the flat white both originated in New Zealand and Australia. As the name hints its more of milk and less of coffee and therefore gives a more creamier taste. This is also very similar to cappucino minus the froth milk added in the end. So to make a flat white a shot of espresso goes into the cup to which a creamier portion of milk is added and that’s it.
Mocha– So if you like hot chocolate then its quite possible that you will love mochaccino which is a mix between a cappuccino and a hot chocolate. To make this one shot of espresso goes into a cup with one spoon of chocolate powder with steamed milk and 2-3cm of micro-foam or whipped cream on the top. You can add some cinnamon, chocolate powder or other toppings at the end.
Vienna– It is simply adding two shots of a strong espresso and topping it with whipped cream which acts as a substitute for milk and sugar.
Irish coffee– This world famous coffee style is brewed with whiskey, sugar, and a thick layer of cream on the top.
Affogato– Its actually a dessert with a flavor of coffee. To make it you simply have to pour hot espresso over vanilla ice cream.
Image reference- Pinterest
