Food & Drink: The Strangest Coffee In London

The streets of London seem to be lined with coffee shops but the industry has a surprising amount of growth still to come. Mintel Research predicts that coffee shop sales in the UK will rise a further 29% by 2021. Already drinking about 55m cups of coffee a day, Brits are now seeking new flavours and experiences and there is plenty of scope for creativity.

Some baristas in Australia have already started experimenting with “Avo-latte”, or coffee served in an avocado skin, and Carrot-cino, which is drunk from a hollowed-out carrot. London has not adopted those quirks just yet but we have found the seven most unusual coffees you can try in London.

Beetroot latte

Beetroot is an antioxidant, which is great for the heart. It also reduces blood pressure, improves blood flow and can prevent dementia.

Betacyanin, the pigment that gives beetroot its bright pink colour, is not only healthy, it gives an interesting flavour to a cup of coffee. You can try it at Palm Vaults (411 Mare St, E8 1HY), or one of the seven Grind shops.

 

Turmeric latte

Turmeric is a bright yellow spice, mostly known as a curry ingredient. It is also a powerful antioxidant, which is great for memory functions, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Find it at one at the four Sourced Market outlets, Nama in Notting Hill (110 Talbot Rd, W11 1JR), Starbucks or Grind.

 

Matcha latte

Matcha is powder made of green tea leaves, which has become very popular because of its healthy properties.

Matcha is usually mixed with steamed nut milk such as almond milk and for sweetening you can add honey or cinnamon. However, matcha has a specific taste, which you will either love or hate.

So, give it a try at Tombo Poke (28 D’Arblay St, Soho, W1F 8EW) or Grind.

Rose Latte

If you are going on a date, Rose Latte is what you need. The coffee is decorated with beautiful flower petals.

The taste is as romantic as the appearance – the milk is infused with rose water, making it a new latte experience.

Try it at Farm Girl (59A Portobello Rd, W11 3DB).

 

Hot Flat White Russian

Yes, it is what you are thinking  –  Hot Flat White Russian is a nice alternative to an Espresso Martini. Shoreditch Grind (213 Old St, EC1V 9NR) now offers a mixture of a flat white and a white Russian.

Your cup of espresso will be complemented with vodka, Kahlua and steamed milk.

Mushroom coffee

Coffee with mushrooms is another innovation that we all should try. Curators Coffee, just off Fenchurch St (9A Cullum St, EC3M 7JJ) produces Magic Mushroom,an espresso served with a syringe of mushroom consommé on the side.

Or you can simply buy Stylist from Finnish brand Four Sigmatic on Amazon. The powder consists of coffee and chaga mushrooms and you just mix it a hot water.

As well as turmeric and beetroot, chaga mushrooms are powerful antioxidants and contain lots of minerals.

Vietnamese egg coffee

Bang Bang Vietnamese Canteen in Fitzrovia offers cà phê trúng – coffee with egg yolks. This drink was invented in the 1940s when milk was so scarce in Vietnam that people replaced it with egg yolks.

You can make one yourself by whisking an egg yolk and adding 40ml of condensed milk and a drop of vanilla essence to your espresso.

 

by Karina Andrianova

 

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