A long black is a style of coffee, most commonly found in Australia and New Zealand. It is now becoming available in the UK, predominantly in London.
A long black is made by pouring a double-shot of espresso or ristretto over hot water (usually the water is also heated by the espresso machine). A long black is similar to an Americano, which is made by adding hot water to the espresso shot; but a long black retains the crema and is less voluminous, therefore more strongly flavoured.
The order in which a long black is made (water first, espresso second) is important -- reversing the steps will destroy the crema from the espresso shot and make an Americano.
Short black is an Australasian synonym for the basic espresso.
Famous quotes containing the words long and/or black:
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—bell hooks (b. c. 1955)