Be prepared to read many Italian words

Fancy a cup o’ Joe? 10 terms any coffee lover should know

Image: Frank Leuderalbert

There was a time when coffee was coffee, everywhere we went. Cup o’ Joe, java, wake-up juice, you name it, it was pretty much all the same beverage. And then, specialty coffee barista bars appeared and things got more complicated. Whether you walk into a Starbucks or any other coffee shop, the list can be intimidating. The following ten are some of the most common suspects. How many of these have you tried?

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We start our coffee list with maybe the most famous representative: the espresso. This beverage is a concentrated type of coffee made with specially roasted beans and an espresso machine.

Finely ground beans are packed into a portafilter, which is then locked into the base of the espresso machine. Very high pressure (a necessity for espresso) forces water through the packed grounds to pull one- or two-ounce shots of creamy, thick espresso. The only difference between espresso and coffee is in the beans and the brewing methods.

Image: Lex Sirikiat

The Italian word for milk, latte is not actually a coffee drink. A latte or caffè latte is a milk coffee that boasts a silky layer of foam. A true latte will be made up of one or two shots of espresso, steamed milk, and a final, thin layer of frothed milk on top.

On the other hand, the caffe latte often has less foam than a cappuccino and is usually served in a taller cup or glass. A caffe latte is an espresso with milk. In Italy, a Caffe is an espresso. Latte is milk. Ideally served with latte art on top and not too much foam.

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A latte macchiato is slightly different. Macchiato means marked or stained. A latte macchiato is a milk marked with an espresso. It has the same ingredients as a caffe latte but it is made and looks different. A good latte macchiato is served in a tall glass and has distinctive layers between the foam, espresso, and milk with the foam on top, espresso below the foam, and milk at the bottom.

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Another famous Italian coffee name, cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink that is traditionally prepared with steamed milk including a layer of milk foam. Other versions involve the use of cream instead of milk, non-dairy milk substitutes, and flavoring with cocoa powder or cinnamon.

It is typically smaller in volume than the latte we just described and topped with a thick layer of foam rather than being made with microfoam.

The name comes from the Capuchin friars, referring to the color of their habits, and in this context, referring to the color of the beverage when milk is added in small portion to dark, brewed coffee.

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Maybe not a coffee 100% but it makes an appearance on this list because it is an extremely ubiquitous item in coffee shops. The affogato is a dessert made with two main ingredients: vanilla ice cream and espresso. Originally invented in Italy, the word "affogato" literally translates as "drowned" in English. This is fitting, as the affogato is no more than a scoop of ice cream "drowned" in espresso.

While it is mainly viewed as a dessert, some restaurants and cafés in Italy still categorize the affogato as a beverage.

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In case anyone was wondering, yes, Americano is the Italian word for American. An Americano coffee is made by pouring hot water over one or two espresso shots, resulting in a drink of similar volume and strength to regular coffee.

The key to an Americano is that it starts with espresso and adopts the flavors and aromas of the espresso, but with a less powerful taste.

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A close cousin of the espresso, a ristretto is an espresso shot. It uses less hot water which creates a sweeter flavor compared to the bitter taste of a traditional shot of espresso or a doppio.

Ristretto means "restricted." Ristretto is all about quality over quantity. When less hot water is forced through the finely ground coffee beans, the result is a more concentrated flavor. The coffee tastes sweeter and less bitter because of the shorter extraction time.

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The first non-Italian entry in this list consists of black coffee, whiskey, and sugar, topped with whipped cream. Many drinks of hot coffee with a distilled spirit, and cream floated on top are given names derived from Irish coffee, although the names are not standardized.

Irish cream coffee can be considered a variant of Irish coffee but involves the use of Irish cream as a "pre-mixed" substitute for the whisky, cream, and sugar.

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Think of a cappuccino without the foam or chocolate sprinkle. Basically, a flat white is an espresso drink with steamed milk. It generally has a higher proportion of espresso to milk than a caffè latte and lacks the thick layer of foam in a cappuccino. While the origin of the flat white is unclear, various café owners in Australia and New Zealand claim its invention.

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The second non-Italian name on the list, Café au lait is French for "coffee with milk". It is coffee with hot milk added. It differs from white coffee, which is coffee with cold milk or other whiteners added. In many American coffeehouses, a café au lait is a drink of strong drip brewed or French-pressed coffee, to which steamed milk is added. American café au lait is generally served in a cup, as with brewed coffee.

GLITCHES OF THE MIND

Ever Experienced The Mandela Effect? 10 Crazy Collective Memory Fails

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Ever found yourself in a heated debate with a friend or family member over some remembered detail that you swear you are right about? You might have encountered the Mandela Effect.

The Mandela Effect describes collective false memories shared by a large group of people, named after the widespread belief that Nelson Mandela died in the 1980s when he actually passed away in 2013. These phenomena typically involve small details in pop culture, history, or everyday life that a significant number of people misremember in the same way.

Here are 10 intriguing instances of this phenomenon that challenge our perceptions of reality.

Image: Suad Kamardeen

The popular children’s book series has sparked debate over its correct spelling. Many recall it as "Berenstein" with an "e," yet all official records show it has always been "Berenstain" with an "a."

Some defenders of the "e" spelling were so adamant about being right that, against all evidence, they speculated that the change might be attributed to time travel or even the merging of parallel universes. However, the most likely culprits are errors in merchandising and the ambiguous pronunciation of the name in the cartoon series.

Image: Vince Fleming

The iconic line from Disney's "Snow White" is often remembered as "Mirror, mirror on the wall," but in fact, the actual line is "Magic mirror on the wall."

However, this discrepancy may not solely be due to the Mandela Effect but rather because the original Brothers Grimm tale—and most versions of it—use "Mirror, mirror" instead. This difference has sparked debates about how popular culture can influence and reshape collective memory over time.

Image: Maria Lin Kim

This one is quite understandable. According to a whole lot of people, the Monopoly board game's mascot, Rich Uncle Pennybags (bet you didn’t know his name either), used to sport a monocle. However, he has never actually had one.

Given his portrayal as a capitalist mogul, it's understandable why many assume he should have a monocle, and most people might not have paid close attention to his exact details in the game.

Image: Robin Canfield

Many remember the mischievous monkey from children’s books having a tail, but Curious George is actually tailless. Putting endless arguments aside about whether he was depicted at one point with a tail or not, the fact is that in the official drawings, he remains tail-less.

People naturally associate monkeys with tails, so it's understandable that the absence of one seems peculiar. And considering he's from Africa, George is likely being portrayed as a chimpanzee, a species known for its lack of tail.

Image: Yunus Yildiz

Some people recall the Ford logo lacking a curl at the end of the "F," but the miniature flourish has been part of the typography since at least 1911—making it highly unlikely they could have seen a curl-less version elsewhere.

Ford is not the first corporate symbol to be subject to misremembering, highlighting what many scientists have already pointed out: memory is often fuzzier than we would like to admit. We don’t recall images perfectly; instead, our memory reconstructs bits and pieces, making it prone to errors and misconceptions.

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Many fans of the TV show remember it as "Sex in the City," but the correct title is "Sex and the City." This common error has also occurred with other shows featuring similarly confusing names, possibly also influenced by mispronunciation or misinterpretation.

However, in this case - understanding the show's premise - the city is not merely a location but might even be considered a protagonist in its own right.

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According to some accounts, an original portrait of King Henry VIII depicting him holding a turkey leg existed at some point in time. However, in reality, there is no historical evidence to support this depiction.

While King Henry VIII was indeed among the first English monarchs to enjoy turkey, which was imported from the New World, no historical portraits show him partaking in such a scene. The myth and widespread misremembering of him with a turkey leg likely stem from more recent depictions where the turkey leg was used as an artistic prop, adding to the confusion over time.

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The iconic line from "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" is often misquoted as "Luke, I am your father." However, the actual line is "No, I am your father."

This misquote is one of the most famous examples of the Mandela Effect. Despite countless parodies and references in popular culture, the original line spoken by Darth Vader is frequently remembered incorrectly by fans of the franchise.

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Amazingly, many people mistakenly remember New Zealand as being located to the northeast of Australia. As a glance at any real map would let you know, New Zealand is situated southeast of Australia.

This geographical confusion has baffled many, as maps clearly show New Zealand's correct position. The misconception may stem from the way maps are typically presented or even remembered from different perspectives.

Image: Brad Switzer

A common false memory is that the Fruit of the Loom logo features a cornucopia behind the fruits. But as far as hard evidence goes, the logo has never included a cornucopia.

If you still believe the logo must have changed at some point or have begun to question your memory, know that misremembering is a universal human phenomenon. Some scientists suggest that memory serves as a message to our future selves, but since this channel has limited capacity, the details of a memory retrieved later may not match those stored initially.