The Rise and Diplomacy of the Flat White

How did a humble drink from Australia and New Zealand conquer the world’s coffee menus? In this episode, we trace the rise of the flat white—the espresso-forward, milk-light beverage now beloved by coffee purists everywhere. We uncover how Australia went from serving notoriously bad brews to becoming a powerhouse of café culture, thanks to postwar Greek and Italian immigrants who brought espresso expertise with them. And we explore how the flat white became more than a drink: a cultural export so influential it’s even been deployed as “flat-white diplomacy” on the world stage, from global cafés to UN climate summits. What makes this small cup such a big ambassador?https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/04/11/flat-whites-are-australias-greatest-culinary-export