Yeah, reading through the OP and the Facebook post, it’s something that looks like it might be a joke, but I just can’t quite figure out what the joke is. After reading the explanation, it’s still not something that tickles me even in that subdued New Yorker sort of way. It just seems like a normal conversational exchange to me.
I interpret it as the guy saying “by the time I add 2 shots of coffee, that’s the entire 8 oz cup” so there’s no room left for any milk. Then they all argue about what kind of milk they aren’t adding.
This probably isn’t correct, but at least it’s kind of funny this way.
When I worked at a coffeeshop for several years in college, it was the other way around. Skim was much easier to foam and would stay foamy without collapsing for a longer time. The quality of foam was a bit different, though. Skim would foam up quickly, and with larger bubbles. It sort of looked “drier” than whole milk foam, if that makes any sense. Whole milk would have silkier, finer foam, that seemed wetter and would collapse more quickly.
When the flat white came out last year, my daughter (who is not a coffee drinker at all) was working as a barista at a Barnes & Noble cafe that serves Starbucks coffee. I asked her what a flat white was, since I had read about it on the internet. Turns out she had just been trained on it that day. She rolled her eyes and said, “Mom, just get a whole-milk latte. It’s pretty much the same thing.”
Therefore, I find the OP’s exchange mildly amusing since it reminded me of my daughter.
A truer analogy to the question you originally asked would be:
“What’s you guys’ definition of nachos”"
“We use two handfuls of cheese, and it covers a small plate. And we fight over how much cheese.”
Not a definition and not even a good description.
Exactly. It’s assumed you know there’s milk in it - that’s really not what’s important - just how much coffee (and by telling you the total volume of the drink, you can also deduct the coffee to milk ratio). Nothing funny about that at all. He even elaborated further, when he apparently saw how confused you were, to explain that he didn’t specify what kind of milk because they don’t all agree on what kind of milk should come standard. I’m sure you could ask for whatever kind of milk you wanted anyways, if that mattered to you. Still not funny.
You’re probably right. I just know that when I get non-skim lattes, the texture is far superior and I erroneously attributed it to the amount of foam and not the type.
edit:
If you asked a restaurant what they consider a well-done steak and they said, “Oh, 12 oz ribeye. We argue about what sides go with it.” would you consider your question answered?
Terrible analogy. It’s more like if you ask a place “how do you guys make your hot dogs?” and they say “we put mayo, mustard, relish, and onions”. Would you be flabbergasted that they didn’t even mention the meat or the bun? Of course not, because you know what a friggin’ hot dog is.
While most people probably don’t know what a “flat white” is (never heard the term myself before this thread, and I like coffee), it’s more reasonable to assume in the case of the OP that he did know what he was talking about, since he’s the one that brought it up.
Gosh, 69 posts, and I’m the only one who thought of non-glossy white latex wall paint. :smack:
Instead, the illustration of flat white coffee looks mostly light brown. I got the joke, BTW.
Yeah, well, I’m aware of the dessert coffee culture, but I’m not a participant. I love unadulterated coffee.
I’m probably the wrong person to come into this thread, since I don’t drink coffee, therefore don’t drink coffee drinks, and have no idea what terminology applies to said drinks.
All I came away with from the OP is this:
There is a drink called “flat white” made with two shots of coffee and enough milk to total eight ounces. There may be some difference of opinion as to what type of milk (whole, reduced fat or skim? Cow, soy or goat? Some other “kind” of milk?) is used.
Heh.
Also in the not at all funny.
I hear his response as assuming from the way you asked the question that you know the basic of what a flat white is (as opposed to a latte or whathaveyou) and were asking what their specific definition was as some flat whites have more espresso to milk and some less. Theirs is two shots of coffee and milk appropriately prepared (microfoam with uniform dark brown meniscus created assumed, duh) to flat white to make 8 oz. With some debate between themselves as to what milk is most appropriate. Another place may use more shots or less, more milk or less, or have the sort of milk defined.
No ha-ha here at all.
Casting my vote for not funny. It sounds like he gave a complete answer to the question assuming you know what a ‘flat white’ is - to me the answer seems to translate to 2 shots of coffee, plus milk to bring it to 8oz, and they don’t have a standard milk. I have no idea what’s supposed to be funny with the answer, it sounds like he answered you.
I also am not a big fan of asking simple vague questions to service people then snickering at them for not giving a comprehensive enough answer or them missing or making some assumptions when they answer.
This would be my understanding of his response. They make the drink with two shots of coffee in an 8 oz. glass, and fill the rest of it with milk. Without further context I wouldn’t know what other information you were looking for and would think it’s a pretty complete answer.
How is this any different from a latte?
I asked at the place again, in a different way: “What’s the difference between a flat white and a latte?” It turns out for these guys, the milk to coffee ratio is literally the only difference between any of their drinks.
As to what kind of answer I was expecting, I meant to find out about whether the milk was steamed or frothed, how the milk was folded into the drink, and what kind of pull was made on the espresso machine. (Ristretto shots being what some places do for their flat whites.)
I did find this blog post that explains how cappuccinos, lattes and flat whites are different in ways other than coffee to milk ratios.
This is the part I had trouble with. If I was the barista, and you asked me “What is you guys’ definition of a flat white?”, my response would have been “Pardon me?”.
What’s wrong with “how do you make a flat white” or “what goes in a flat white”? I think “definition” is a weird word to use here and “you guys’” is unusual too. Maybe that’s a dialect thing or something. How do you say it? Like “You guys-es”?
In your analogies you gave as examples “what goes on your nachos” but that’s not exactly the same question? If you asked me “what’s your definition of nachos”, again, I’d probably say “what do you mean by ‘definition’”? I don’t tend to “define” food.
Yep, on both. If I said it, it would sound more like “whatcha guyses definition of a flat white” if I were feeling particularly colloquial. It’s not unusual to hear that around here in Chicago, and I believe some larger East Coast metropolitan areas (I think Philly, for instance.) “You guys,” “youse guys,” “you guyses” (for the possessive–that doesn’t come up that often in conversation, though.)