Living in a college town and being a college student, it almost seems mandatory to know how to order a coffee. But, what if you don’t know what a macchiato is, or you’re scared to try an Americano because you might not like it?

“A lot of the menu is a foreign language,” said Jennifer Malone, manager of Cafe Diem, 229 Main St.

But never fear – FYI is here with the ingredients and tips about every coffee drink on the board. So, next time you walk into a coffee shop you can order your latte with confidence.

“You have some people who don’t know how to order but think they do – then you have people who don’t know how to order and feel self-conscious about it,” said Grant Shipman, manager of Taraccino, 539 Lincoln Way.

Mocha

Let’s start understanding the coffee lingo by throwing the self-consciousness out the window and diving into our first warm and delicious beverage: the mocha.

“A mocha is just like a hot chocolate, but with espresso,” said Elisabeth Hunsberger, senior in journalism and mass communication and former coffee creator at the Courtyard Cafe in Lagomarcino Hall. “It’s the sweetest drink, but has caffeine in it too.”

Even though mochas usually just consist of steamed milk, espresso and chocolate, you can zest them up with extra flavors such as mint, raspberry and caramel.

But just as an early token of knowledge, Hunsberger said to keep one thing in mind.

“The basis of all drinks is steamed milk and espresso,” Hunsberger said.

Latte and Cappuccino

Now that you understand what a mocha is and have a clear understanding of what the basis for every drink is, let’s move forward onto the latte and cappuccino.

There is also a difference between the type of cappuccino you’d get at a gas station and the more gourmet-type you would purchase at a coffee shop.

“The first time [customers] have a cappuccino is usually at a Kum and Go, and then they come here and see all these things and they’re like, ‘whoa,'” Shipman said.

So, remember – getting a cappuccino at a coffee shop is not the same as pushing a button at a convenience store.

“It tastes nothing like [the cappuccino] you’d get at Kum and Go,” Hunsberger said.

So, differences aside, what actually goes into a latte and a cappuccino?

A latte is steamed milk and espresso usually mixed with a flavor, Hunsberger said.

Flavors can range anywhere from Irish cream to hazelnut to plain, old vanilla. Most coffee shops carry a variety of flavors that can be added to any beverage.

“[However], people usually get flavored lattes but not cappuccinos,” Hunsberger said.

This is because people who really like coffee usually get the cappuccinos because less milk is used, therefore the espresso isn’t as diluted as it would be in a latte, Hunsberger said. “The milk soaks up the espresso taste.”

Macchiato

So now that you feel comfortable with lattes, mochas and cappuccinos, let’s move on to the macchiato.

“All [a macchiato] is, is a shot of espresso and foam,” Hunsberger said. “[There’s] no milk and it’s the strongest tasting drink.”

But for those of you out there who are avid Starbucks visitors, this might not seem right. Starbucks offers a caramel macchiato that includes milk and tastes sweet like caramel, and can come in various sizes. However, this is not an authentic macchiato.

“I have people who come in and order a caramel macchiato expecting a drink like Starbucks’. I show them a little glass and tell them what a real macchiato is and then they usually change their mind to something more suitable like a caramel latte,” said Jon Reed, manager at Stomping Grounds, 303 Welch Ave.

Americano

And last but not least, there is the Americano – a very simple coffee drink.

“[An Americano] is like coffee but a lot stronger,” Hunsberger said.

This is because the only two ingredients in an Americano are espresso and hot water. It’s almost identical to a coffee, except that the caffeine equivalency is a little more extreme in an Americano.

“[The] smallest comes with two shots and each size [after that] has an extra shot that comes with it,” Hunsberger said.

So, if you like to stick to the simple coffee beverages and steer clear of fancy, flavor-filled concoctions, an Americano might be your drink of choice.

Code cracked

Now that you finally know the differences between all the coffee creations, the trick is remembering it when you get to the counter to place your order – will your confidence go down the drain with the leftover coffee?

“We are trained to be able to educate a customer if they are going to spend three to four dollars on a drink,” Malone said. “They’ll get what they like.”

Shipman also stressed that being coffee illiterate isn’t the end of the world and that clerks are there to assist you in your coffee endeavors.

“The people working there have all not known about coffee at one point and now they know,” he said.

Therefore, the clerks can relate to you and your difficulty when trying to translate the menu.

“All of our employees know how to help someone understand,” Shipman said.

So don’t be scared – hold your chin up high and order your coffee with confidence. And, if that doesn’t work, use Malone’s advice: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”