Japanese Food Tips

Coffee milk (kohi-gyunyu) is a mixture of milk with coffee and a considerable amount of sugar, and is usually served cold. Its color is milky brown and it is in the dairy category. Coffee milk is similar to Western cafe au lait and cafe latte, but those are mainly drip coffee or espresso with a strong coffee flavor, and usually are warm drinks. Coffee milk is said to have been born in Japan and has remained a popular drink since it was first sold in 1923. At that time, coffee was still a luxury item that only the rich could enjoy. In order to make it accessible to the general public, coffee was mixed with milk, and this was the first "coffee milk." In the old days, cold coffee milk and milk were sold in public bathhouses (sentou), and drinking them after bathing was a standard practice. Coffee milk was sold in bottles in the early days and is now also available in paper cartons. Now many are sold under the label "milk coffee" or "coffee-infused dairy products." If you come to Japan, you can try cold coffee milk sold at supermarkets and convenience stores.