In the last year or so we have seen multiple different coffee trends come and go. From avocado latte’s to coffee-cookie shots, the caffeine craze shows no signs of diminishing.
As a result, the latest coffee trend is a creation by Round K coffee shop in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and promises to give you that extra kick of caffeine to start your day. The owner of the coffee joint and creator of the matte black coffee, Ockhyeon Byeon appropriately says the new brew is “darker than your soul”.
Byeon of Round K said he created the Matte Black Latte as a response to his customers who regularly order black coffee, which isn’t actually stark black. He felt inspired and got to work on a creation which would promise to satisfy their desire for the darkest drink. The coffee shop however is not new to wacky and wonderful creations and is often experimenting with a mixture of ingredients to excite and entice customers. Already on their menu is an egg cappuccino and a wasabi latte meaning that the matte black latte would make an excellent addition.
The new kind of coffee is surprisingly sweet as it is made with almond milk, espresso, 98% Dutch process cacao topped off with coconut cream and marzipan. The lack of dairy in the drink has made it popular with vegans and vegetarians looking for that unique caffeine fix.
Perhaps the most interesting ingredient is coconut ash. The owner, Byeon said “Coconut ash is an activated charcoal that is proven to whiten teeth. Say good-bye to coffee stain on your teeth. Aside from teeth whitening, coconut ash also has antibiotic effects and mostly importantly it helps with digestion and detoxes your body.” Although his statement haven’t been confirmed through scientific research, that hasn’t stopped customers flocking for the aesthetically pleasing drink.
Byeon said that many of his customers are delighted and surprised when the drink is first presented to them with many commenting that it really is matte black! He further stated “After they take a sip of the drink they are amazed by how Matte Black tasted like ‘sweet dessert.’ Then they ask us for the ingredients in the drink and how we made it taste so sweet and unique.”
Although there have been some coffee shops trying to re create the latte themselves, Byeon is not frustrated by it but instead added “We encourage innovations in coffee industry and everyone has their own goals for their creations,” Byeon said. “My goal for Matte Black is to justify the term ‘black coffee’ and at the same time provide a vegan, non-diary, and healthy drink for people.”