Just before I left, one of my coworkers warned me that the coffee here in New Zealand was pretty bad. She mentioned that it was pretty much all instant coffee.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that in recent years Kiwi’s have embraced coffee. In fact, most coffee you order is an espresso drink. The lingo is a lot different than home though.

I first noticed coffee at the Auckland airport. In the domestic terminal there were three places that served coffee (one a Dunkin Donuts cart), and all of them were espresso. I was stymied by the drink menu, so I ordered a plain espresso since I recognized what the name was. It was delicious.

At the place we are staying, the coffee they buy is amazing. So rich and flavourful. I may bring some home with me.

I’ve had coffee out a couple times and have learned that what I need to order is a long black. This is essentially an Americano. Sometimes it is just an espresso in a big cup with a side of hot water so you can dilute it to your taste.

Another drink that is very common is the flat white. This is coffee with a lot of milk. It sounds similar to a latte, but isn’t, since that is also usually on the menu.

Point is, New Zealand coffee rocks!