Challenging coffee exam question is baffling people - even baristas aren't sure

22 July 2023 , 08:00

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You really need to know your coffee to answer the question (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

If you pride yourself on being a coffee connoisseur, then you're in luck. You can try your hand at a mind-bending exam question that's left baristas scratching their heads, as several people, experts included, struggled to work out the answer.

The tricky question is sure to separate the amateurs from the aficionados, provided you're brave enough to take it on. It's sourced from a HSC Hospitality Food and Beverage exam paper that went viral a few years ago, when it stumped several of secondary school students in Australia.

The seemingly-simple task challenged participants to correctly name two different coffee drinks in a diagram. Most people quickly identified the first coffee - a cup filled with espresso and hot water, topped with a small amount of crema - as a long black.

The question caused a heated debate

But the second diagram - a coffee made with espresso, crema, and steamed milk, before it's topped with foam - caused trouble for students and baristas alike.

According to The Daily Telegraph, experts haven't been able to agree whether the coffee is a flat white or a cappuccino. Kieran Westlake, president of the Australian Specialty Coffee Association told the publication that based on his local coffee culture the drink would be a flat white – but elsewhere it could easily be classed as a cap.

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He said: "This is a tricky question for students, as the answer is dependant on geography and coffee culture of where it is served."

Other baristas argued that he was wrong, saying it had to be a cappuccino, as a flat white wouldn't have any foam on top.

People online have since branded the exam question "stupid" and others even added new answer suggestions to the mix, with some wondering if it was a latte. One person tweeted: "As a trained barista it's definitely not a cappuccino - caps have more milk foam, the foam is not thin enough for a latte. So it's a flat white."

A second asked: "Without chocolate it'd be a latte but that wasn't an option right?" "Of course it's not a cappuccino, there's no chocolate sprinkles mentioned," wrote someone else.

A fourth proclaimed: "Seriously! How dumb are we getting. Can't spot a cappuccino?" A different user really didn't care either way, adding: "It's a cup of coffee that costs way too much is what it is."

Amber O'Connor