Noisette: The Cherished French Coffee Drink You Should Try
Whether it's a morning shot of caffeine to awaken, an afternoon pick-me-up, or an after-dinner digestion aid (or all three), the whole globe savors a great cup of coffee. While the ingredients and processes behind some of the most well-known styles of international coffee vary, they can be enjoyed alike. There's the Irish coffee, which includes whiskey, sugar, and a layer of cream. Vietnamese coffee comes with a healthy dose of sweetened condensed milk and is filtered with a French drip, while Mexico's café de olla is brewed with a cinnamon stick and cane sugar and served in a clay mug to help bring out the flavors, per Business Insider.
Being the melting pot it is, America is familiar with many of these coffee styles and has even claimed a few creations of its own, such as the classic americano (via Cafe de Lipa). But there are still those elusive coffees you won't find at your corner coffee shop but are worth seeking out or making at home, like the café noisette.
A lovely alternative with espresso and a touch of foamed milk
Café noisette is a specialty of France. Upon seeing and tasting one, you might get a sense of familiarity because it is, in essence, the same as a café macchiato. Food & Wine notes that a noisette is an espresso with a touch of foamed milk on top. When combined, the drink takes on the color of a hazelnut, or "noisette" in French, but does not taste like the nut. Travel blogger Jeannine Bergeron explains that the drink is a nice alternative to the café (or espresso) that the French often enjoy in the afternoons (via French Style). You get the same strong coffee flavor, but it is smoothed out by a bit of creaminess.
You don't necessarily need to travel across the Atlantic to enjoy a noisette, although kudos to you if you do! It is simple enough to make at home with an espresso maker and a milk frother, or you can see if your local barista can whip one up based on the brief description. If it's a winner in your eyes, don't stop there; there are many coffee styles and variations from around the world waiting for you to discover.