What is this, the milky maiden herself dressed in coffee? I know I envision some kind of silky brew,  more like a tea with milk, a hint of elegance perhaps? What could white roast coffee consist of?

As I started my investigations what became clear is that the coffee is not actually white, I know right..  buzz kill. Why do we come up with these mis-leading names that have a long line of process to get us  to the end game? Well, lets just say that all coffee starts with the green bean. “White” coffee simply  means it is the least amount of roast, therefor it is less brown in color. Its all relative in the coffee  world…

Another historical reference to white coffee began with Chinese immigrants working on coffee  plantations. They barely roasted the coffee, steeped it like a tea and added milk. Ah hah! Now we can  see the white profile coming through. In places like Malaysia white coffee simply means a milk is  added. The coffee that allured me most was the white coffee “quhwah bayda” of Jordan and Lebanon.  This coffee is made from water, orange blossom water, rose water and a splash of coffee, you can see  why it has a reputation for having a soothing effect, no?

As we dig to the roots of what is white coffee, in general, we see it is the least roasted of the coffee  beans and/or contains milk. It also depends on what region of the world you ask for white coffee in.  Less roasted coffee does have more caffeine, up to 50% more depending on the type of brew you  usually drink. This roast will be less bitter, less caramelized in flavor, soft and nuttier.

I hope this gives you something to look forward to on your coffee tasting escapades!