Coffee Talk…according to Bill

Jun 18, 2008

Being the coffee snob I am, traveling the globe puts a crimp in my morning Starbucks routine. While yes, Starbucks IS everywhere (including out-of-the-way places like Skagway, Alaska and at the Forbidden City in Beijing) there are as many choices of java establishments as there are countries in the world. But…how you order that shot of espresso or skinny latte can also vary just as much. If you order a simple “coffee” in some countries, what you get might shock your taste buds.

Here are a few samples of proper Java Jargon to help you navigate the world of ordering a coffee across the globe:

In Australia:
“Flat White”: Coffee with milk
“Flat Back”: Coffee without milk
“Short Black”: shot of espresso
“Tall Black”: double espresso

In Costa Rica:
“Cafè con lechè”: Coffee with milk (not to be confused with the French and southern US take on coffee with milk: “Cafe au lait”)

In Italy (Thanks Jaffa, for your contribution!):
“Caffè” (kah-FE) : We might call it espresso; but Italians do a small cup of very strong coffee, topped with a caramel-colored foam called “crema”, a very important element.

“Posso avere un caffe con latte”: Can I have a coffee with milk”?

In Singapore:
“Kopi-o”: Coffee without milk

In Spain:
Café Cortado is Carajillo: espresso spiked with liquor (often brandy or whiskey)… which comes in quite handy after a long and full night of tapas crawling.

In China:
Best to order tea.
…or go to the nearest Starbucks (yes there are Starbucks scattered throughout the nation) and play it safe with a skinny latte. Can’t promise where the milk came from, though.

In America:
“Vente light mocha frappa no whip, skinny, double shot, foamy macchiato ramba lamba ding dong”