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With a sweet, creamy, slightly bitter profile, banana milk latte has been taking the internet by storm lately. From TikTok to Instagram and other social media, the beverage’s interesting combination of flavours as well as aesthetic appeal has netizens hooked. Originating as a foundation of the banana-flavoured milk drink from Korea, the latte is made complex with the addition of medium or dark roasted espresso coffee which balances the sweetness seamlessly. The original recipe uses the popular packaged drink and blends it with hazelnut-flavoured coffee, although other variations include a smoothie-like drink which is also a cold, thicker version.
The hybrid beverage has swiftly trumped its preceding dalgona coffee - which was a rage during the pandemic for its frothy texture - and has quickly gone on from being a Seoul cafe specialty to a worldwide phenomenon. The foundations of this drink date as far back as to 1974, when the Korean brand Binggrae decided to roll out the flavoured milk at a time when bananas were rare and expensive to find within the country. The beverage soon rose in popularity and became an aspirational product for consumers to experience, soon making its way to mainstream consumption - courtesy of BTS’ Jungkook being spotted sipping on it multiple times.
Now, as a symbol of Korea’s thriving culinary recognition globally, the banana-flavoured milk was last recorded selling close to 8 lakh bottles each day in 2010. Other variations of the latte also include adding cocoa powder, nut butters, protein powder, alt milk and other flavouring agents to elevate and layer its profile. For those who do not have access to the packaged milk beverage, here’s how you can recreate the viral drink at home:
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Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 shot espresso
- Sugar, to taste
- Ice cubes
Method
- Combine the banana, milk and sugar in a blender with ice.
- Blitz until the mixture is smooth and thick in consistency before pouring into a glass.
- Gently pour the espresso over the banana milkshake mixture for a layered effect; stir or sip as is.
- Replace espresso with cocoa powder for a non-caffienated version of the drink or add a scoop of vanilla/chocolate protein powder to boost its nutritional value.
- One could also replace regular milk with almond, oat or coconut milk for a vegan variation and top up with whipped cream, chocolate shavings or sprinkles for added aesthetic effect.
Fruit Infusions In Coffee
In addition to this, India has also been witnessing a growing admiration for fruit-infused coffee, with flavours such as strawberry and oranges becoming top favourites. For the fiends who prefer speciality brews, the process of infusing coffee beans with fruit - also known as fruit co-fermentation, has been in vogue. This ‘organic’ process involves using actual fruit pieces or slices along with coffee berries, as opposed to adding fruit-flavoured syrup to coffee, sealed in chambers with partial or no exposure to oxygen. Once the beans absorb the aroma and flavour from the fresh fruit by virtue of steam rising from the tank, it produces a brew that is complex flavoured with dominating coffee notes punctuated by the fruit used to infuse them. Common infusions include citrus fruit like oranges and lemon, strawberries and cranberries for their tartness as well as tropical fruit like pineapple and mango which give the brew a creamier sweetness.
