Delicious, spongy often adorned with powdered cocoa or some carefully placed coffee beans, the top of the cream has become the favorite coffee complement of the.
Sometimes called sweet cream or simply whipped cream, coverage has become a basic element in the culture of third wave coffee and beyond, with local stores that take signals from global companies such as Starbucks that have capitalized customized drinks for decades.
But in the last month, two of The best coffee shops in Los Angeles I have called it to renounce sweet cream accessories.
In April, the Korean coffee toaster Maru Coffee, probably the first to bring Top Coffee cream to the Los Angeles artisanal coffee scene, placed small countertop signs that announce that it would no longer offer the garnish as of May.
Chinese cafeteria Mandarin coffee support made a similar announcement On Instagram Last week and took optional cream accessories from the menu on Sunday.
“Over time, we realized that the cream covers, although fun and indulgent, often dominates the same ingredients that we and our partners worked so hard to obtain, roast and prepare care,” the Instagram publication of the Mandarin Coffee Stand says. “When we serve you a drink, we want it to be something we are really proud … not something masked in sugar and cream.”
The native of Pasadena, Karla Menéndez, a frequent client of Coffee Coffee stand, came to the store on Monday to drink a drink at the top of the cream and was disappointed to know that the complement was no longer available.
“When I was in line, I hoped to get [the cream top]But then I checked the Instagram and thought: 'Oh, he's gone, “said Menéndez.” I like more with the upper cream, but I understand why they are doing it. “
This is not the first time that Top Top drinks have adorned local coffee menus. Cadena Taiwanese 85 ° C Bakery Cafe, a well -known international franchise, has been serving marine salt and coffee cream since 2008, when its first location in the United States opened in Irvine. Little Fluffy Head Cafe, which closed in 2023, was one of the first to sell drinks with cheese foam in Los Angeles when he opened the center in 2017. The globally popular Hytea, a Chinese chain known by his Hades covered with cheese foam – A mixture of cream cheese and milk or cream – opened its first location on the west coast in Beverly Hills last year.
“In general, people here in the United States prefer sweeter drinks,” said Sherry Gao, owner of Mandarin Coffee Stand. “I think the top of the cream is a perfect option for them to have something creamy and sweet at the same time.”
One of Mandarin's exclusive drinks is Vienna Latte, or an espresso covered with sweet cream. The store began offering cream tops as a $ 1 complement to any drink last year.
“We began to offer it as an act of hospitality because we wanted to satisfy [customers]”Gao said.” It just came out a bit out of control. “
Known more frequently as the Einspänner, a new version of the Viennese drink gained generalized popularity around 2016 in South Korea, where coffees began to replace the espresso with coffee that already contained milk or cream. Almost at the same time, Maru's co -founder Jacob Park began to serve a cream drink in his newly opened cafeteria in the happy ones.
Maru's cream, a long black with sweet cream, helped to launch an obsession throughout the city, so much so that The cafeteria even made sweatshirts Printed with the term. While Maru will continue offering his coffee with cream Addressing Tiktok To support the change.
A user published a Sentimental goodbye to its higher order of standard matcha Latte cream in Maru. Others were tougher in Tiktok's comments sections, questioning the reasons for the store and promising ever returning.
Gao, who said that Maru's decision to suspend the cream supplements of the cream inspired his team to do the same, discovers that the preparation, which involves beating and sweetening cream, is a relatively easy task: one that does not mind giving up to redirect attention to people and processes involved in each stage of coffee production.
“We make efforts to go to farms directly, building a relationship with farmers in Mexico, Guatemala and recently Japan,” said Maru co -founder Joonmo Kim. “In a sense, you are not doing justice to the hard work and the process that enters it when it dominates [it]. “
Cream covers in cafes inspired by Mandarin and Maru are inspired by Einspänner were designed for specific drinks, which will not be added to other types of coffee, or matcha or chai.
“There are some stores that make cream very well, and I feel they put a lot of intention in their blouses,” Gao said. “But since we really do not have time to invest in the creation of more cream tops that accompany the drink well, we only have that top of cream we use for the Vienna Latte.”
Time will say if Angelenos adapts to simpler coffee habits (and less sweet), but for now, these coffee shops remain firm in their decision to maintain the supplements of the cream in their menus.
“I don't know if it's going to be a movement,” Gao said. “But I hope that more coffee shops can stay faithful to what they are doing.”
