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The Flat White — NZ Coffee Culture

NZ

The flat white is arguably NZʻs (and Australiaʻs — the origin is disputed) greatest culinary contribution to the world. A double shot of espresso with steamed milk — less foam than a cappuccino, less milk than a latte, stronger and more coffee-forward. NZʻs café culture is among the most sophisticated in the world: Wellington has more cafés per capita than New York, and the standard of extraction is extraordinarily high. Flight Coffee, Customs Brew Bar, Peoples Coffee (Wellington), Allpress, Ozone (Auckland). NZ coffee culture evolved from the tearoom tradition through Italian espresso influence in the 1990s into the current third-wave scene. Garth ran a coffee roasting company in Australia for a decade — the flat white is personal territory.

1. A flat white from Flight Coffee in Wellington: double shot, steamed milk with microfoam, clean latte art, served in a ceramic cup.

A flat white from Flight Coffee in Wellington: double shot, steamed milk with microfoam, clean latte art, served in a ceramic cup.

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