What Coffee Was That?

Wondering what the café menu is on about or maybe you just want to try something new. Check out this list of some of the more well-known and well-loved types of coffee.

Cappuccino
Cappuccino is known in Australia as equal parts espresso, steamed milk and froth. Many coffee shops will add more milk than this to produce larger takeaway cappuccinos. For a drink in the right proportion, stick to one third of each.

Macchiato
Cafe Macchiato is a shot of espresso (served in a demitasse cup) topped off with velvety smooth steamed milk. The ratio is about 80% coffee to 20% milk. Many Italians add a teaspoon of sugar. Put another way, this is a serving of espresso coffee with a small dollop of milky foam on top

Caffe Latte
A Caffe Latte is a single shot of espresso with steamed milk. The milk is steamed, not frothed to produce a smooth texture. There is no frothed milk in this drink. A Caffe Latte should have approximately 120 –150 ml of milk in it. (Note: ordering a Latte in an Italian restaurant may get you a glass of milk so be sure to order Caffe latte.)

Ristretto
This very short and sweet coffee is a normal amount of ground espresso coffee that has been stopped short. Water quantity will be around 20-25 ml compared to a normal shot of espresso being 30ml. The taste will consist of the ‘sweetest’ coffee given that these are the sensations that are first extracted from coffee.

Short Black
Strictly speaking a short black is 30 mls of espresso coffee served in a demitasse cup. Many Australian establishments serve short black between 30 – 60 mls and it can be ordered as either ‘short black’ or ‘espresso’.

And now for some more unusual varieties…

Espresso Con Panna
This exotic sounding brew is a traditional Italian specialty. It’s simply a single shot of espresso with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Remember, always insist on real whipped cream, the artificial tinned product won’t work when used in coffee.

Hammerhead
This brew definitely lives up to its name. To make a Hammerhead, draw a shot of espresso into a regular coffee cup and then top it up with drip coffee. This is guaranteed to give a powerful mid-afternoon lift. It’s the ultimate coffee for those who like their cuppa to be strong and black.

Melya
First brew a cup of your favourite blend of coffee. While its brewing, put a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of cocoa in a cup. Stir the two together until you get something that resembles a rich chocolate sauce. Now pour the fresh espresso over the honey mixture and stir well. Serve with fresh cream.

Caffe Frappe
This is the perfect coffee for hot Queensland summers. It consists of cubes of frozen espresso, either whole or crushed, with a scoop of coffee-flavoured ice cream and a little orgeat, an almond based syrup. Finally, fresh espresso that has been left to get cold is poured on top.

Brulot
For something truly exotic try this treat from the famed cuisine of New Orleans. Curacao, cloves, cinnamon and lemon zest are cooked in a little brandy. Hot espresso is poured over the resulting mixture creating a unique beverage.

Thai Iced Coffee
A delicious alternative to standard iced coffee
Ingredients: Strong ground coffee, Sugar, Evaporated (not condensed) milk and Cardamom pods.

1. Prepare a pot of coffee at a good European strength NB(Add 2-3 ground cardamom pods to the coffee.)

2. Sweeten while hot, then cool quickly.

3. Serve over ice, with unsweetened evaporated milk (or cream if you're feeling indulgent). To get a layered effect, place a spoon atop the coffee and pour the milk carefully into the spoon so that it floats on the top of the coffee.

Greek/Turkish/Arabic
Greece, Turkey and the Middle East are home to quite possibly the strongest variety of coffee. Whether you call it Greek, Turkish or Arabic this brew is guaranteed to give even the most hardened caffeine aficionado a good hard kick. You’ll need pulverized coffee, ground as fine as flour, it’s readily available at most supermarkets. Next get your hands on an ibrik (Turkish, pictured above) or briki (Greek), or failing that a small saucepan. Finally, depending on personal taste you’ll need sugar and cardamom, a sweet spice. Any reference to a cup in this article refers to a very small cup so aim to have no more liquid than you would have in a short black.

You’ll need one to two tablespoons of coffee per cup with sugar to taste. Mix the required amount of cold water, coffee, sugar and/or cardamom in your briki/ibrik. Only mix once, then put the briki/ibrik on a stove over the lowest heat. As the coffee simmers foam will appear. Pour the foam and only the foam in equal measures into each cup, repeating this procedure until all the mix is used up. Two boils is usually sufficient. Allow the sediment to settle and serve with a glass of cold water. But if you’re not used to this style be cautious as it is very strong.

Indian Spiced Coffee
1 & 1/4 cups water; 4 pods cardamom, split; 1 stick cinnamon, broken in half; pinch nutmeg; 1 clove; 2 cups strong, freshly brewed Mysore coffee; 1 cup milk; 2 tablespoons sugar or honey, or sweeten to taste;

In a medium-size pot, bring water to a boil. Stir in the spices, cover, and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the pre-brewed coffee. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat milk until almost boiling. Strain the spiced coffee through a fine mesh strainer covered with cheesecloth into the milk. Add sweetener, stir, and serve in mugs. Makes 4 servings.