New Zealanders are to espresso what Russians are to chess

This New York Times article about the growth of quality espresso coffee shops in London mentions a cafe called "Flat White" which told me instantly that Kiwis (or perhaps Aussies) were on the ground raising the standard of espresso coffee in London. (You learned all about the "flat white" here at EspressoCoffeeSnobs.com). I love this quote from the article:

...the “flat white” is also a symbol of serious coffee: it’s basically a cappuccino-size latte — flat and white — a style imported from Australia (some say New Zealand) [we know it was NZ -ed] when a wave of baristas emigrated from those countries. (Australians and New Zealanders are to espresso what Russians are to chess: they’re just better at it.)

Anyhow, the above description of a flat white from the article is somewhat lacking. Here's where you can learn all about the flat white espresso drink.

What is Long Black Coffee

While writing my previous post about the specialty coffee milks available in New Zealand that are formulated for superior taste and frothing qualities for making coffee drinks such as latte and flat white, I also made reference to a post at iNeedCoffee.com singing the praises of coffee in Auckland. In his post the writer mentioned how he was a little lost because of the different coffee terminology used in New Zealand, and one of the coffee drinks he referred to while scratching his head was a "long black". It seems that by the end of his visit he still didn't know quite what the heck a long black was, so let me answer the question for him and anyone else out there in cyberspace.

A long black is a double-shot of espresso pulled over hot water. Take note: the espresso is pulled into the hot water so as not to break the crema; there should be crema floating on the top of a long black.

As a matter of convenience, the hot water is typically taken from the espresso machine itself rather than from a separate hot water source. In a way, a long black is similar to an Americano, but Americano is typically a single shot of espresso with more hot water, and it is likely in the U.S. that the espresso will be extracted separately into a small pitcher and the espresso then poured into the hot water. Oh what a shame; crema down the drain!

Long black's partner is the "short black" coffee which is simply the traditional shot of espresso coffee served in a demitasse cup.

The Right Milk for Coffee Drinks

When I say that New Zealand has the best coffee, I'm sure my friends in California think I'm just biased because I'm a Kiwi, i.e. a native New Zealander.

Well, to back me up, here's "Exhibit A": check out this post by a "real" Calfornian from iNeedCoffee.com who states he found "coffee paradise in Auckland, N.Z."

"Exhibit B" for today is that you can buy milk in New Zealand that is specifically formulated for its superior frothing qualities for espresso coffee-based drinks. As of yet, I haven't heard of Americans taking their lattes that seriously, and actually one of the things I don't like about coffee drinks in the U.S. is the unpleasant aftertaste left by the milk. A lot of that in my opinion has to do with the fact that the milk is too often heated to the point where it starts to get a scalded flavor to it. Could it also be the milk?

In New Zealand there are three commercially produced milk formulations for making coffee drinks: Sun Latte, La Vie, and Froth Top. Here's an extract from an article from New Zealand's "Cafe" Magazine that rates the virtues of milk forulated for making latte plus "blue top" which is how standard homogenized milk is typically referred to in New Zealand. The article is posted on the Sun Latte website.

All of these milk formulations are distinguished by being non-fat and high in calcium and protein. Not only are they good for you, but they are one of the key elements to making the taste of coffee in New Zealand something that leaves the U.S. equivalents in its dust. Could we say "Eat my froth"?