Coffee Culture’s latest trend is combining fats and coffee and since Starbucks has gotten into the act, with its Oleato, olive-oil infused coffee line, we’ll be hearing a lot more about it. Bulletproof coffee, combining oil and ghee, the clarified butter used in Indian cuisine, has been around for some time.

I first encountered this idea of combining fat and coffee in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, in a pre-Covid trip, where the  original cà phê trúng (egg coffee) can be found in Café Giang, an almost-hidden cafe down a narrow alley in the city’s Old Quarter.

It was the invention of a barman in the 1940s, due to war-time milk shortages in the 1940s. You can’t really taste the egg; it’s more like a thick vanilla and sweet, the way the Vietnamese like their coffee, a habit my partner brought back with her from our trip. (Sweetened condensed milk every day with coffee).

Put ice in the egg coffee and it’s more like coffee ice cream. There is also coffee powder, condensed milk, a little butter, and cheese in the mix.

Recently, on a visit to my local Starbucks, as Ricardo’s doesn’t have hordes of publicists tipping him off, I stumbled upon  the new Starbucks’ new offering, (foodnetwork review here) coffee mixed with extra-virgin Partanna^® Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, now also available separately in their stores.

It’s pressed with Nocellara del Belice olives (also called Castelvetrano), which are known for their vibrant and buttery flavor. When I asked about the new drink, the barista was kind enough to pass out a taste. It does have a silky feel and gives coffee an extra dimension and more body. (Here’s a guide to buying the best olive oil).

Supposedly, and I take that with a teaspoon of olive oil, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz was introduced to the custom of olive oil and coffee while sipping an espresso in Sicily. He was inspired by the ‘lush velvety flavour that lingers beautifully on the palate’ and so a product was born. (Ricardo’s is contemplating making an olive oil gelato now too).

Would I order it again? I probably will, as it has this luxurious smooth and silky mouth feel and Starbucks has gone to town creating drinks like:

Starbucks^® Blonde^® espresso combined with notes of warm toffeenut and creamy oatmilk, topped with Oleato Golden Foam, a lush vanilla sweet cream that cold foam infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil*. 

The Oleato Caffè Latte is simple and elegant, made with Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast and Partanna extra virgin olive oil steamed with oatmilk to create the most luscious of lattes.

Here’s a copycat recipe:

1. Add the oat milk and extra virgin olive oil to the milk frother.
2. Meanwhile, place an espresso pod into your machine or make 1.5 oz of espresso with an espresso maker.
3. Pour the frothed olive oil infused oat milk into the espresso. Stir (optional) and enjoy.
4. (Add vanilla syrup or an optional sweetener).

A larger question is should you imbibe more olive oil, like the Mediterranean diet suggests?

Olive oil is packed with monosaturated fats, explains Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, FAND, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes. As a result, Sheth notes that olive oil’s benefits include improvements in:

• heart health, including blood pressure and cholesterol
• brain health
• inflammation
• joint health

In any case, it would be easy to try; slide a tablespoon of good olive oil in your morning cup and play with the amounts.

Another similar idea is Bulletproof Coffee, which has been around for a while and comprises MCT oil and ghee, clarified butter often used in Indian cuisine. There is also a Bulletproof bean brand, which the inventor of this Rainforest-certified product distributes and claims is hand picked and has fewer toxins than other coffees.

MCT oil, derived from coconut oil, contains medium-chain triglycerides that can rapidly metabolize in the body – a quick and accessible source of energy. MCT oil can increase feelings of fullness, support weight management and support cognitive function.

Ghee contains essential nutrients like Vitamin A, a fat-soluble nutrient supporting skin and eye health. In addition to vitamin A, ghee contains small amounts of other fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins D, E, and K2.

Lastly, grass-fed ghee contains omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats. Some studies have shown promising evidence that omega- 3 fatty acids may provide support to the brain and body.

A recipe:

1. Brew 1 cup (8-12 ounces) of coffee using Bulletproof coffee beans.

1 cup Bulletproof coffee

• Add coffee, Brain Octane C8 MCT oil and ghee to a blender. 

1/3-2 tbsp Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil

• Blend 20-30 seconds until it looks like a creamy latte. Enjoy! 

1-2 tsp Grass-Fed Ghee

A good place to try it is Extra Butter on Roncesvalles: they’ve been making it for some time.