齋啡

我一向都是飲齊啡。老朋友見怪不怪,但新相識總會勸我說齋啡傷胃。我通常也只會唯唯諾諾回應一兩下便算,籍口是:喝奶後我會拉肚子。

其實真正的原因很簡單。我喝咖啡是為了喝其咖啡香,而不是奶香。很多人說 Starbucks 的咖啡像熱奶。我從無這感覺,可能因為我絕少喝 cappuccino 或 latte。咖啡就是咖啡,被奶味蓋過後就變成另一樣東西。在家我也是喝 espresso,而且是要有那層「crema」(如圖)在頂端才算像樣。

但不是每個人也是這樣想。前陣子在彼邦喝過一家 non-Starbucks chain 出品的 espresso。咖啡味極香,但不苦澀,而且口感順滑。我和內子讚不絕口,說同是連鎖店的出品,這家的品質好過 Starbucks 幾倍!但同行的團友卻不以為然,說他們的 latte 實在太濃太澀,差點要拿回櫃檯再添點奶才喝得下!在我看來,這似乎是被平日的 Starbucks「熱奶」縱壞了!不過,「好咖啡」的定義是隨人而定的。我強行說奶味重就不算是好咖啡的確有點霸道。

話說回來,某日我到 food court 內一家以牛肉飯著名的連鎖快餐店吃早餐。平日我總是要熱奶茶,因為對他們的咖啡抱著很低的期望。那天我仍未睡醒,所以破天荒點了一杯齋啡。嘩!那刻我終於明白咖啡加奶的意義了!就像小妹們那塗面具一樣的化妝同一原理:為了讓自己不見得人的一面藏起,只好將自己喬裝成別人不認得的樣子!唉!對著那難喝得像「煙灰水」的咖啡,也難怪正常人會認為加奶的咖啡才是正統!

non-Starbucks chain? which one? where?

Forgot. Let me ask my wife tonight. hee hee.

Oh, it should be “Gloria Jeans”!

Starbucks’ americano is actually quite good, imo. The regular coffee that Starbucks in HK serves is a lot worse than what I get here in Vancouver. I went to a Starbucks around North Point last time and their regular coffee was even worse than 難喝得像「煙灰水」的咖啡! Not to mention that it was rather expensive compared to Canadian pricing. $1.73CAD vs $28HKD… :(

I thought they are using the same bean world wide. But anyway, I don’t like starbucks for another reason. I might write about it next time. About how they are always cheating with their customers.

That’s what I thought too. Well, it might have been because the staff put less coffee beans into the machine than they’re supposed to. But anyway.
Looking forward to that post! :)

Thanks, that chain has no branch in HK yet. :(

香港坊間的啡咖,很少可以不加奶喝——太難喝了。

以於那些啡咖不錯的地方,另上的奶我也會喝了——先喝過齋啡,再把奶倒進空杯內喝了——我愛咖啡香,也愛奶香。

相似的是,我不喜歡喝奶味太濃的奶茶

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