Coffee shops and cafes offer standard drip coffee and various coffee menus, such as cafe au lait and cafe latte. Even though you’ve tasted it, surprisingly, many people don’t know each menu’s characteristics and taste differences.

This time, I will introduce the features of coffee menus that you often see at coffee shops and cafes. Knowing the characteristics of each type of coffee, from standard menus and milk-based menus to slightly unusual arrangement menus, you can choose coffee that suits your taste and mood at that time.

Types of royal road coffee menu

I will explain each type of coffee. First of all, from the historic old-fashioned royal road coffee. From the classic American to the rare Turkish, we will introduce their characteristics and historical background.

American coffee

Originally drunk in the United States as a light and smooth black coffee instead of tea, it spread to Japan in the 1970s. Around this time, it began to be served as “American coffee,” It has become a standard menu item seen at coffee shops even today.

From that time on, when it came to the menu of coffee shops, it was familiar to see the shop’s signature coffee, “Blend,” and the lighter and easier-to-drink “American”.

The general definition of American coffee is “coffee brewed with lightly roasted beans”, but at that time, quite a few shops served strong brewed coffee mixed with hot water. There are still such shops, but it may not be a mistake as long as the original definition is unclear.

By the way, not all coffee in the United States was lightly roasted, and deep-roasted French style was the mainstream in the South, such as New Orleans and Atlanta, where there were many French immigrants.

Turkish coffee

If you are familiar with American coffee, you may be familiar with Turkish coffee, which is called Turkish coffee. However, there are not many people who have drunk it.

Turkish coffee is made by brewing finely ground coffee using a small brass (or copper) ladle-shaped brewing device. Because it is drunk by sipping the top liquid without straining the powder, it leaves a rough impression on the tongue, but the characteristic of Turkish coffee is that it is also enjoyed.

Unfiltered coffee may be unfamiliar to some people, but it is said that the brewing method of filtering coffee powder began in France around 1710, and until then, coffee was boiled and drunk bottom.

Not only is it authentic in Turkey, but there are also ethnic restaurants in Japan that serve it, so if you find it, why not experience the taste of the ancients?

Dutch coffee

“Dutch coffee” is not so familiar, but it is also offered under names such as “cold brew”, “low-temperature extraction,” and “cold brew.” They all refer to “coffee that has been extracted slowly over a long period at a low temperature.”

Its origins date back to the 17th century, when Indonesia was a colony of the Netherlands, where water and coffee were put in a jar, buried in the ground, and brewed. It is called Dutch coffee because it is a brewing method invented by the Dutch.

At old-fashioned coffee shops with sizeable spherical glass brewing utensils, you can still find it on the menu under the name “Dutch Coffee.”

Since the coffee is not exposed to heat, it is less likely to deteriorate due to temperature changes. Since the flavor of the coffee is extracted into the water as it is, it is a brewing method that brings out the ingredients’ flavor.

It’s perfect for iced coffee because the finished temperature is low, but you can enjoy it as hot coffee if you heat it in a hot water bath.

Classic cafe menu

Although it is a standard menu item at cafes, surprisingly, many people do not know the difference between milk-based menus. If you know the difference, you may be able to find a cup that you like.

Cafe au lait

It has a mild taste with plenty of milk and is already one of the familiar menu items. “Cafe au lait” is French for “café au lait,” where cafe means coffee and lait means milk, meaning “coffee with milk”. A cafe au lait is completed by combining equal amounts of deep-roasted drip coffee and warm milk.

Combined with the sweetness of the milk, it is a gentle menu that conveys the mellow flavor of coffee. Even if you don’t like coffee, you can still enjoy it.

Cafe latte

While café au lait is based on drip coffee, caffe latte is based on espresso. Extract at once with high-pressure steam, add milk, and it’s complete. You can feel the bitterness of coffee more slowly than cafe au lait.

If “cafe au lait” comes from France, “caffe latte” comes from Italy. This is also “Caffè Latte,” which means “coffee with milk.”

In Italy, “espresso”, brewed under pressure with a particular machine, is common, and if you combine it with “steamed milk,” the caffe latte is completed. Espresso is about 30ml, and steamed milk is about 120ml, which differs from cafe au lait.

Cappuccino

Like a caffe latte, it is made by adding milk to espresso, but here, foamed milk heated with steam is also added, resulting in a more mellow taste.

The flavor of espresso wrapped in milk foam differs from caffe latte. Using the contrast between espresso and foamed milk, the style of pouring while drawing a design on the surface is also a great opportunity for baristas to show off their skills.

Espresso

Espresso also appeared in cafe lattes and cappuccinos. Deep-roasted beans are finely ground and extracted at once while applying pressure. Compared to drip coffee, you can enjoy a concentrated and concentrated flavor.

And the proof of delicious espresso is the “crema” that covers the surface. When extracting espresso, water (hot water) and oil (the flavor component of coffee) fuse, creating an emulsification phenomenon.

It confines the aroma and softens the mouthfeel, so check the crema when you drink espresso.

Cafe Macchiato

It’s brewed almost like a cappuccino but with a different ratio of milk to espresso.

Although not strictly defined, it is a way of drinking espresso (30ml) with a small amount of frothed milk. By the way, macchiato means “stain” in Italian. It is an arrangement menu named because the milk floating on the surface looks like that.

Affogato

Affogato is an Italian dessert made by pouring hot espresso over ice cream. The combination of espresso’s bitterness and the rich milkiness of ice cream in your mouth is exquisite. By the way, affogato means “drowned” in Italian. The passionate name of ice cream drowning in espresso is somehow Italian and excellent.

Shekerat

Shakerato is an Italian-style iced coffee that is brewed using a shaker. Espresso, gum syrup, and ice are put in a shaker and cooled quickly so the foam created by the shaker is gentle on the palate. Some may think it is easier to drink than regular iced coffee because it has a milder flavor.

Flat white

It is an espresso-based coffee that is said to have spread from the southern hemisphere, such as Australia and New Zealand. Recently, it has been adopted as a menu item at major fast-food restaurants, so many people must have heard the name.

The brewing method is similar to a caffe latte, adding steamed milk to espresso. Because there is less milk, you can enjoy the taste of espresso more than a caffe latte.

Espresso Tonic

As the name suggests, espresso tonic is made by adding tonic water to espresso. Tonic water is carbonated water with herb and citrus extracts and sugar added. It adds freshness without removing the coffee feeling. When you try it for the first time, you may unintentionally say, “It’s an unexpected taste!”

Other arranged menus of “ice coffee x carbonated” with a refreshing taste. In this article, you will find easy recipes you can make at home.

I have introduced mainly old-fashioned and relatively new arranged menus, but the definitions, names, and ways of making them vary from restaurant to restaurant.

If you stop by your usual coffee shop or cafe, look closer at the menu book than usual and try new menus. Also, different coffee beans have different tastes and flavors, so comparing the same menu at different shops might be interesting.