Espresso is coffee brewed by forcing water through the grounds at high pressure. As opposed to "regular" coffee made in something like a drip coffee maker, pour over cone, or French press.
I used to be all about a latte macchiato with an extra shot, then I got hooked on café con leche. After I returned home I found out a flat white is as close as you can get, without being a jerk who explains their custom order to every barista.
First time trying a flat white my wife and I had an epiphany. We always ordered cappuccino but didn't care about the foam. Now it's our go to coffee, unless I need to get a real energy boost. In that case ristretto or espresso with sugar is my go to.
I've personally have never heard of coconut milk in cà phê sữa đá (iced [condensed] milk coffee) before.
You must be thinking about cà phê dừa (coconut coffee), which usually has coconut milk and condensed milk
Though a hot small cup of cà phê trứng (egg coffee) is the best. You beat egg yolk into condensed milk and sugar, and then pour it into coffee. And it's so nice and creamy
I know this is a joke but as a burgeoning espresso snob, I can’t help myself from explaining:
A ristretto’s importance is in its stronger coffee flavor. It’s the same amount of coffee, but with less water run through the grounds. In a standard espresso, that last little bit of coffee added beyond a ristretto pull is much more watery, and so it mellows out the flavor. A ristretto is sharper and more of a punch. In my opinion, its most effective use is in a flat white, in which the aim is to remove as much water from the equation as possible and really let the coffee flavor shine through into the smaller amount of milk. Both ingredients’ flavors are more apparent in a flat white than in, say, a latte, which is in some regards a watered down flat white.
2tsp dark brown sugar
8 drops of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp chocolate powder
4 shots espresso made with the other ingredients already in the cup
Lightly stir
Espresso is good but how about a little sweetener...tried a few things landed on not just brown sugar but dark brown sugar.
Mocha is good so let's try chocolate powder too, dialed it in.
Vanilla is nice with both brown sugar and chocolate let's at that too.
I might try a sprinkle of powdered salt on top next
Neat. This has more than one seen on other charts. I guess only Italian variations, though? I was looking for cortado, but it's Spanish. It's most similar to the flat white but with 50/50 espresso and milk
Citrus & coffee is a fantastic combo. My go to in summer is espresso, ice water and a hefty squeeze of lemon. Super refreshing, and a nice amount of sweetness without being too syrupy (or too unhealthy).