Just days after we heard from Costa’s general manager, who laid down the gauntlet to his fellow coffee houses to create a flat white better than his, Starbucks launches their Flat White espresso. Amazingly for a company that seems to come up with a new mega-calorific beverage on an hourly basis, it’s the first espresso variation in 15 years. (In Starbucks speak, it’s the “first new core espresso”.) Starbucks is relatively late in getting on the flat white bandwagon, which is alleged to have started in New Zealand a couple of decades ago (like all good food stories, there’s a side of apocrypha thrown in). Like a latte or a cappuccino, it’s an espresso topped with steamed milk. Here, it’s got “microfoam” – the milk at the bottom of the steaming jug – and none of that airy froth from the top. Makes all the difference, we’re sure. * Have you tried the camel milk coffee from Cafe2Go (next to Al Murooj Rotana) yet? We had some in our latte the other day, and while it’s quite drinkable – quite rich even – there’s an aftertaste that we’re not sure those who feel strongly about their coffee will enjoy. Let us know what you think of it. Starbucks’ first new proper coffee drink in 15 years – the flat white. A Cafe2go latte, made with camel milk. From : Gulf News.