1. Cortado
A cortado is an espresso that is “cut” (from the Spanish and Portuguese word “cortar”) with a small amount of warm milk to reduce the acidic level of the espresso. The drink is also known as “Pingo” or “Garoto”. The ratio of milk to coffee is between 1:1 and 1:2. First the espresso is poured and then the milk is added. The steamed milk does not have much foam. Baristas make micro foam to make latte art with it.
The cortado is popular in Spain and Portugal. It has also become popular in Norway as well as throughout Latin America, where it is drunk as an afternoon beverage. The drink is also available in Cuba and called a cortadito. It’s usually served in a special glass, often with a metal ring base and a metal wire handle.
A cortado comes with several variations, including “cortado condensada” which is espresso with condensed milk and “leche y leche” which contains condensed milk and with cream on top. In the U.S.A the drink is sometimes known as a “Gibraltar”. It is different from a cappuccino by having little or no milk foam, and different from a flat white in that the flat white is always prepared with a double espresso with no foam.
2. Cuban Espresso
A Cuban Espresso is espresso that is sweetened with demerara sugar as it is being brewed. Cuban espressos began being made after espresso machines were first imported into Cuba from Italy. Demerara sugar is a type of brown sugar. Cuban espresso is also called café cubano.
3. Espresso
Espresso is a concentrated coffee drink. It is made by forcing a small amount of almost boiling water – under pressure – through coffee beans which have been finely ground. Espresso has 3 characteristics that make it distinct.
- Espresso is thicker than coffee made using other methods.
- It contains a higher concentration of suspended and dissolved solids.
- It contains crema. (Crema means cream in Italianand refers to the foam with creamy texture that is produced in the espresso due to the high pressure).
Due to the pressure used in making an espresso, the flavor and chemical makeup is more concentrated than regular drip coffee. Espresso is used as a base for many other coffee drinks such Americano, cappuccino, latte, mocha and macchiato.
Espresso also has morecaffeine per unit volume than most other coffee beverages. It is due to its high caffeine content and strong flavor that an espresso is usually served in smaller amounts (60ml or 2 US fluid ounces) compared to regular cup of drip coffee (240 ml or 8 US fluid ounces.
An espresso Romano is a shot of espresso with a small rind of lemon. Sugar is added to it as well.
4. Flat White
A flat white is an espresso with a similar proportion of coffee to milk as a caffe latte and a cappuccino. However, the main difference is the texture of the milk that is used. Another difference is that in some regions varying number of espresso shots are used.
The flat white drink originated in Australia and New Zealand in the late 1970s. It was introduced as an alternative to the cappuccino which was deemed too frothy. Since then, it has also been introduced in the UK. Later it was adopted by big coffee chains Costas and Starbucks. However this drink is usually not available in the rest of Europe or the United States.
In New Zealand, the drink is traditionally made with two shots of espresso topped with stretched and textured milk. The milk is prepared by steaming air into the milk and then folding the top layer into the lower layers. The steamed milk is then poured from the bottom of the jug. This is done to keep away the lighter milk froth on top in order to get to the milk with the smaller bubbles from beneath the froth.
This helps make the drink soft and smooth in texture. This is how you achieve the “flat”, non-frothy texture. This results in a white coffee with the crema on top still intact. In the past the drink was served in cappuccino cups. However these days it is served in smaller cups using two ristretto shots. This results in a stronger and less milky drink than a caffè latte.
Outside of New Zealand the drink is prepared in a slightly different way.
5. Frappuccino
Frappuccino is the name of a bottled coffee beverage produced by Starbucks. Since its cold drink, it is found in the refrigerated section of the store. It can be found in most major supermarket chains. The name Frappuccino is trademarked by Starbucks. The drink comes in many different flavors. Some of the flavors are:
Coffee, Espresso, Caramel, Mocha Coconut, Mocha, White Chocolate, Java Chip, Caffe Vanilla, Peppermint Mocha, Mint Mocha Chip, Strawberries & Crème, and Green Tea.
6. Galão
Galão is a hot drink originating from Portugal. It is made of espresso and foamed milk and it’s similar to caffè latte or café au lait. It is served in a tall glass, consisting of about ¼ coffee and¾ quarters foamed milk. If the proportion is 1:1 it is called “meia de leite”. In the Madeira archipelago region, it is called “Chinesa”. It is served in regular coffee cup.
7. Greek Frappe Coffee
Greek frappe or café frappe is an iced coffee drink made from spray dried instant coffee. It is covered with foam. It is very popular drink in Greece, especially during the summer months. Its popularity has spread to other countries. The word frappe in French refers to a shaken and/or chilled drink. In Greek however the word frappe means the shaking that is involved in preparing the café frappe.
8. Indian Filter Coffee
Called South Indian coffee and is also known as Madras Filter Coffee or Kaapi (which is meant to be the Tamil phonetic rendering of “coffee”). It is a sweet milky coffee made from dark roasted coffee beans and chicory. The proportion of dark roasted coffee beans and chicory used is 80% to 20%.
In the southern states of India, such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the drink is especially popular. The most frequently used coffee beans are Pea berry (commonly preferred), Arabica, Malabar and Robusta. The coffee beans are grown in the hills of Kerala (Malabar region), Karnataka (Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru regions) and Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris District, Yercaud and Kodaikanal regions).
9. Kopi Luwak
Kopi Luwak (also called civet coffee) is the most expensive coffee in the world today. It is also very low in supply with prices reaching $600 per pound. Kopi Luwak refers to the process in which coffee berries are eaten by the civet for their fleshy pulp. The berries pass through the civet’s digestive tracts where fermentation occurs.
The intact coffee beans are now passed out along with the civet’s feces. Once they are collected, they are thoroughly washed, sun dried and roasted. The chemicalization that occurs in the civet’s digestive tracts is purported to cause the beans to be less bitter and have more aroma. The main producers of this type of coffee bean are Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Beware of expensive imitations selling as the real thing.
10. Kopi Susu
Kopi susu is commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Borneo. It is very similar to the beverage called “ca phe sua nong” which is mentioned above. The word kopi susu is translated literally into “milk coffee”. Kopi susu is made simply by mixing black Arabica coffee with about a 1/4 to 1/2 a glass of sweetened condensed milk.
It is then let to cool and to allow the coffee grounds to sink to the bottom. You should not drink this to the end, as the coffee ground will get into your mouth unless you want to “eat” the ground coffee. Kopi turbruk is the same as kopi susu but uses sugar instead of sweetened condensed milk. It is served in a glass.