I grew up drinking instant coffee. Well, not pure coffee, but a mix of coffee and chicory. Chicory was used in many countries as a coffee substitute during WWII, but in present-day South Africa the most popular coffees in the country are a chicory and coffee blend. South Africa produces 20 000 tons of chicory per year.
One teaspoon of this in boiling water followed by a splash of coffee is pretty weak. Some people drink Nescafé but it is pretty pricey so they tend to keep it for best. I always found Nescafé too strong.
So when I came to Sweden and encountered their STRONG STRONG coffee I could not drink it. I still can’t. It is unbelievably strong and many people drink it black. Sweden has the second highest coffee consumption in the world – after Finland – and their coffee has been described as ‘stronger than Espresso and weaker than tar’.
So at home I just drink fruit tea, no milk. But when I go out I like to drink extra hot latte. It has the coffee taste and kick but is delicious. Every day I treat myself to one large one to give me energy, warm me up and make myself smile.
Recently though, loads of people around me have been asking for flat whites and I was curious as to what they are. I have no clue about the more fashionable coffees these days. I know espresso, latte and cappuccino and that is about it. But the rest…..eeeek
Well….here is an interesting explanation of the difference between Latte and Flat White
