What is the Difference Between a Cafe Latte and a Flat White

Post

Subscribe

?

I innocently ordered a café latte while dining with friends at the Pint of Milk Café in Newport. When the waitress announced my drink of choice I was lampooned for a lack of masculinity by one of my companions. That might be easy to accept had my accuser the tattooed exterior of a brickie's labourer and two shots of overproof rum in front of him however it appears my nemesis had ordered a flat white.

Having ambled through an internet search some years ago that seemed to indicate that a flat white and cafe latte only differed slightly in the ratio of milk to espresso (though the details escaped me). I contended to the assembled throng that the only difference was the fact that mine came in a glass whilst my learned colleague's came in a mug. I should therefore be considered manlier than he as I did not require a handle on my pitcher, demonstrating an Anzac-like fortitude by bearing the pain of clutching that moderately warm glass in my bare hands.

The general consensus around the table though was that a flat white did not have any foam on top whereas a café latte did. Observing that the flat white in question, and indeed any that I have ever ordered, all came topped with foam somewhat dulled that argument. Given that we had more important things to discuss such as the best method for creating a life-sized replica of oneself composed entirely of matchsticks the debate concluded with a few disinterested shrugs.

As I am unable to accept ever being wrong I decided to take this question to the experts. The barista at Alley Tunes in Hawthorn was certainly given to my way of thinking. After I'd ordered a wake up short black he confided that the café latte and flat white were in fact identical (the latter being an entirely Australian phenomenon) and that in Europe the coffee aficionados would never countenance adding milk to a shot of Espresso. I proudly downed my short black and strode off with pride intact (scurrying back 10 minutes later to pay for my purchase).

The same question was asked of the waiter at my recent Odd Spot Café breakfast. The only difference according to this fine gentleman was that the café latte came with an extra 'finger' of foam upon its apex.

I contend that the same amount of foam is used for both beverages. Consider figure A pictured above; as the flat white's container has a wider circumference the total volume of foam is in fact very similar to the taller yet narrower ewer bearing the café latte. So you can see that mathematics studied in Year 12 Further Maths does have a practical use and that I really will go to any lengths to disprove even mild criticism of myself well beyond anyone else remembering it ever having taken place.

Anyway, getting back on topic, according to my somewhat lacklustre research, the answer to the question "What is the difference between a cafe latte and a flat white?" is: "not much if anything".

Author's note: to amuse yourself next time you're at a café ask for a milk coffee. After receiving a blank stare tell them that you'd like a café latte. They will then comprehend your request. Apparently waiters and baristas all over Australia know every single word in the English lexicon apart from "milk" and "coffee". For some reason they only know these words in Italian, but possess no further knowledge of any Italian dialects: an uncanny phenomenon that warrants further study.

#cafes
#coffee
#questions
%wnmelbourne