Pukka Cuppa?

The second post of the day!
In order to keep myself awake for the whole day, here I am, online 24/7.

I like coffee. Do you?

Well, since I like coffee so much and don't know what else to write, let's talk about Coffee! Yay!

Coffee, there are many kinds of coffee you can find, be it Latte, Mocha, Expresso, Frappucino, Macchiato, Cappucino or just the normal white or black coffee. But what are the difference they make? So, let's continue on reading, yea?

Latte

According to a website I found, to the experts, Latte is not exactly categorised as coffee (??). And what makes Latte italian is just its name, Latte. Actually, Lattes don't even exist in Italy. The name was invented by American vendors back in the 80's.

For coffee newcomers, Latte is hot milk with a dash of coffee thrown in. Basically, this is coffee for those who don't like coffee. HAHA!

Mocha

Mocha is a strong Arabian coffee; a dark-brown strong-tasting coffee from Yemen and some other countries on the Arabian peninsula.

Or easy to say, it's a type of coffee in which cocoa are added into it, forming balance in coffee bitter taste with milky chocolate flavour.

By far, it is one of my favourites. It is not as strong as Expresso and not as subtle as Latte.

Expresso

This is, I believe, the King of All Coffee. Very very strong and most people take it as a kick-start of the day.

"Espresso coffee is made by forcing 1.5 oz of 185 degree water through 0.2 oz (7 g) of finely pre-ground espresso coffee at 135 Ibs of water pressure. This creates a strong "extract", called Espresso. A true italian espresso has an aromatic taste, full body but not burnt. Unlike american coffee, espresso is made using an espresso machine." - cafeto.com

It is a tough business in coffee industry eh?

Frappucina/Macchiato

To be honest, I haven't tried these yet and have no idea what are they really but they are popular among youngsters.

OK, after googling it, actually Frappucino and Macchiato are coffee drinks invented by Starbucks (duhh)

For Frappucino, it comes in many flavours e.g. coffee with strawberry, coffee with caramel, coffee with vanilla and etc. And these flavours will be blended with milk and ice, topped it off with whipped cream. It's like a thin milkshake.

"The term frappuccino is a blend of frappe, the Italian term for milkshake, and cappuccino, the coffee drink with a milky topping"- wikipedia.com

As for Macchiato, it is an Italian word, meaning 'marked' or 'stained'. It is a drink of espresso coffee with a small amount of steamed milk on top. So I guess, it is like mild expresso? Need to check more on this later.

Cappucino

Cappucino and Latte are usually taken by most people during lunch.

"A cappuccino differs from a caffé latte in that it is prepared with much less steamed or textured milk than the caffé latte with the total of espresso and milk/foam making up between approximately 150 ml and 180 ml (5 and 6 ounces)" - wikipedia.com

And Cappucino is a truly Italian coffee drink.

"A cappuccino is traditionally served in a porcelain cup, which has far better heat retention characteristics than glass or paper. The foam on top of the cappuccino acts as an insulator and helps retain the heat of the liquid, allowing it to stay hotter longer."- wikipedia.com

OK, now I'm a bit confused between cappucino and macchiato. They are similar, aren't they? They come from the same ingredients except that cappucino has milk foam on top.

Oh, now I get it. The most important element in cappucino is the texture and temperature of the milk. Usually a barrista has to steam the milk to produce microfoam which creates tiny bubbles of air that give the milk a velvety texture and sweetness.

"Attaining the correct ratio of foam requires close attention be paid while steaming the milk, thus making the cappuccino one of the most difficult espresso-based beverages to make properly. Moreover, a skilled barista may obtain artistic shapes while pouring the milk on the top of the espresso coffee"-wikipedia.com

Now, we know why coffee at Starbucks is expensive.

Though, for us, medium-class people, our top choice of coffee is........

INSTANT COFFEE

This is the cheapest coffee you can get.

"With instant coffee, the flavor will never be as strong or intense as that of real coffee. Instant coffees are made with a low-grade robusta, a type of coffee bean. Intense processing eliminates any aroma or flavor that is associated with real coffee......

As the "gourmet" coffee trend has established itself, drinking instant coffee is, in some circles, akin to drinking rat poison (heh???) "-wisegeek.com

Knowing that, you better find a decent coffee yourself.

However, did you know that the most expensive coffee bean in the world is actually produced in Indonesia? They call it Kopi Luak and costs 700 US dollars (USD) for a kilogram (2.2 lb).

According to wisegeek.com, the flavour is impossible to imitate. I think for those who watch GlobeTrekker know what kind of coffee is this.

"The reason for this is that the Civet cat chews on the ripe cherries and the stone, or coffee bean, is retrieved by farmers once it has taken its natural course through the cat (ALERT: The cat's poo). The bean is then washed and roasted, and the intense odor of the drink comes from the musk secreted by the anal glands of the cat. Perhaps this is not the best drink for a pick-me-up at breakfast."-wisegeek.com

Yikes!





Coffee poo anyone?