What is Melange?
How could we define melange? This is certainly not an easy task because there are many variants of this coffee type both in terms of appearance and preparation.
There are already heated debates on how to write down the name („mélange” in a french way or simply „melange”). So if we order a melange or mélange in a coffee house we may get a drink similar to Latte Macchiato where the sugar is replaced by honey but originally this drink was about something else.
Melange is mostly popular in Austria, Switzerland, and Netherlands. It is often compared to Latte and Cappuccino but some characterize it as the blend of the two. Originally, melange spread in the Viennese coffee houses in the 18th century, where it was prepared from coffee roasted in a Viennese way: coffee and milk mixed fifty-fifty with milk foam on the top. The label „Wiener Melange” is often used for this drink outside Vienna, despite the fact that no one calls the beverage like this in its hometown.
The preparation of Melange is not difficult at all. All we need is a milk foamer and we also have to pay attention to the succession and the temperature: thus the drink will become flaky. So, we first have to foam up 1 deciliter of milk and brew a strong coffee. Then we should pour the milk into a translucent glass and spoon the milk foam on the top. Now we can carefully stream the hot coffee. If we are lucky, we will get a coffee with three layers.
There are many versions of melange. Some put chocolate topping on it or sprinkle chocolate pieces into it. But the main point is the milk foam on top of the coffee. Without this, melange would not be melange. It is up to you if you mix the milk foam with the coffee to get a softer taste or not. Anyway, drinking a melange is a very pleasurable experience.
