I'm smellin' coffee, birds are singing just outside

So, for those of you who are not aware, I am not a coffee drinker. Never have been. Never liked anything that tasted of coffee - coffee ice cream, chocolate covered coffee beans, nada. However, working in a cafe in Melbourne, where coffee is a way of life, I decided I might need to try and wean myself onto it.

First of all, coffee here is not remotely the same as coffee in the states. Whereas at home, most coffee drinks start from a base of plain black filtered coffee, here it starts with an espresso shot. If you are like my mom, and like your coffee strong and black, in Melbourne you need to order a "long black" - and you'll find you probably need at least two of those to satisfy your normal coffee quota. If you like milk in your coffee, that's a "flat white." Then there's a latte, which is an espresso shot with steamed, frothy milk. The difference between this and a flat white is still somewhat vague, but I think a latte is stronger and frothier. Most peeps know what a latte is. Anyways, it goes on and on from there.

So, in learning what all of these different coffee drinks are, I thought my best chance of acquiring a taste for coffee was starting on the yummier end of the scale, with a mocha, or mochaccino. For those of you who like mochas but never knew what they were - it's hot chocolate with a shot of coffee in it. Weaker than a cappuccino, I figured it was the perfect place to start. I bit the bullet on Friday morning with some friends when we stopped for a mid-morning snack on the St. Kilda jetty:

that's me with my first mocha!

I was surprised that I actually liked it, given my hatred for all things coffee prior to that very moment. But it was delish, and complemented my blueberry friand quite well.
So now I think I might be hooked. After a late night followed by the prospect of a 5 hour afternoon shift at the restaurant, I grabbed a mocha on my way in - followed by another halfway through the afternoon! Definitely will need to start ordering skinny mochas if I keep this habit up!
I leave you with the iconic Luna Park entrance - a classic Melbourne photo op. My pose might have something to do with the caffeine in my first mocha!


Comments

  1. MoeMasters11 April 2010 at 22:28

    I'm raising my coffee cup to you, Chritina! Welcome to the Coffee Club. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown1 June 2010 at 05:49

    i miss flat whites!!!!!

    ReplyDelete

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