Now that we've officially said goodbye to 2014, you may want to set aside collecting stamps for Starbucks planners and bring more attention to what is considered as the next big thing for this mega coffee shop. It's called flat white.
What is flat white? Before you try to believe that this is such an ingenious invention by Starbucks, this type of coffee preparation has actually been around for more than 20 years. In fact, if you head to the Land Down Under or to New Zealand and go to a coffee shop, more likely you'll get to see this in their menu or you can coax a barista to make one for you even if it's off menu.
This is because its origins began there, although where exactly is still a subject to debate. You see, both New Zealand and Australia couldn't just agree. However, if you're going to ask Michael Symons, a food historian based in Australia, the term flat white and most probably its manner of preparation started in Sydney in the middle of the 1980s as a way of differentiating it from the more common terms like short or long black. A more standard form was then developed in New Zealand before the end of the decade.
In other words, flat white is not new. But then, how come you haven't really heard of it yet? The answer is simple. It wasn't just introduced into the U.S. market formally. While some coffee shops offer them, it's either they don't get it right or these shops are still fewer than those who don't serve it.
However, it's already made its way in the United Kingdom around 5 years ago, and with its introduction to the Starbucks menu last January 6, definitely a huge crowd will get to experience it.
How different is a flat white from the lattes and cappuccinos? It's a combination of milk and espresso, though the latter seems to dominate the taste, so it's bittersweet. Others can truly feel the roasted coffee beans. It is made with steamed milk with some bubbles, known as microfoam, poured into a double-shot espresso.
A regular flat white has 119 calories.
