White coffee

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

White coffee is an herbal tea, invented in Beirut, made with orange blossom water. Traditionally served after meals in Lebanon and Syria, it is often accompanied by candied rose petals, served in tiny, delicate dishes. White coffee is a sedative, and calms the nerves while stimulating digestion after a particularly rich or heavy meal. In Lebanon, orange blossom water is given to fussy babies; it is also used as a perfume, either in the bathwater or directly on the skin.

Lebanese and Syrian white coffee contains absolutely no coffee.

In English-speaking countries, "white coffee" is used to refer to regular black coffee that has had milk, cream or some other "whitener" added to it. Cream varieties (often called "creamers" in the U.S.), can be made of dairy milk, corn syrup derivatives, soy, or nut products. Sweeteners used include cane sugar or artificial ingredients.

In the United States, white coffee may also refer to coffee beans which have been roasted to a light tan and produce a brew that is yellowish in color. American white coffee is very highly caffeinated, being only lightly roasted. It is the length of the roasting process, producing successively darker color, which removes the caffeine from the coffee beans. White coffee is generally used only for making espresso drinks, not simple brewed coffee.

In Malaysia, Ipoh white coffee refers to a drink made from coffee beans roasted in margarine.

In addition to 'Lebanese' white coffee, there is a form of white coffee, native to Yemen, which refers to the ground shell of the coffee bean. This form of coffee earns its name from its colour, and is brewed in the same manner as regular coffee, only with some spices added.