Starbucks have come out with a new beverage, which apparently has people scratching their heads (hat tip: Rachel).
On Jan. 5, Starbucks will bestow a new espresso beverage upon the caffeine-addicted in the U.S., Canada and participating stores in Latin America — the latte macchiato.
Yet, no one seems to get exactly what that is.
According to Starbucks, only two ingredients are needed to make this handcrafted jolt in a cup — espresso and milk. It is described as:
Steamed whole milk that is perfectly aerated and free-poured creating dense foam reminiscent of meringue. The beverage is then marked by slowly-poured full espresso shots, creating a signature espresso dot.
But that make it entirely clear how this particular beverage differs from a macchiato, which is espresso topped by milk foam; and a latte, which is an espresso topped by steamed milk and milk foam.
“Essentially, it’s an upside-down latte,” said a very patient barista I peppered with 2,384,123,948 gazillion questions at a local Starbucks this afternoon.
What she meant is that instead of making a latte, in which you pour two shots of espresso into a cup and then top it with steamed milk and foam, you flip the process.
But there are some who do get exactly what this is.
Israelis!
This drink is what we call a Café Hafuch (‘upside down coffee’) in Israel.
Interestingly enough, Starbucks failed when they opened in Israel in 2001, having to close in 2003.
Perhaps by honing their hafuch craft in the US, they will return bigger and better than ever.
