Flat White Having Something of a Moment in LA

You can with increasing frequency find a flat white on the menu boards at specialty coffee shops around Los Angeles, from Coffee + Food and other cafés that take their inspiration from New Zealand and Australian coffee culture, to those that don’t necessarily, such as Woodcat Coffee Bar in Echo Park.

Coffee + Food counts New Zealand native Russell Crowe among its happy tweeting customers, which is probably as good a blessing as you can get when it comes to these sort of things.

The flat white was invented in the 1980s in either New Zealand or Australia – an issue destined to never be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. Broadly speaking, it’s made with a single or double shot of espresso and some amount of milk.

Other than the general ratio of coffee to milk, the flat white’s most distinguishing attribute is its minimal amount of foam, thus putting the “flat” in flat white.

Because of its size and how the milk is steamed to a smooth, velvety texture, the drink is sometimes described as a small latte; you’ll also hear it compared to the minimally foamy cappuccinos standard nowadays at many of the city’s specialty coffee shops.

Original article by Tien Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, November 20, 2014.