We have reached the singularity of peak food trends: the avolatte exists. It’s a latte served inside a (mostly) scooped-out avocado skin and topped off with an artful froth design, of course, and it was pioneered by an Australian café that actually intended to make a satirical point by doubling down on the two millennial-favorite foods. But people are buying in — and shaking their heads.
Talk of expensive avocado toast and lattes has been all the rage in Australia lately, following a searing op-ed in which a millionaire called out millennials for spending too much money on the trendy chow. So as a joke, one Melbourne café posted a video of the creation of a latte inside the hollowed-out rind of an avocado. “Combing [sic] two of Melbourne’s obsessions,” the caption read, adding on a crying-laughing emoji for good measure. But it appealed to customers, and they’ve actually sold a handful.
“It’s literally coffee in a piece of rubbish,” a barista who helped kicked off the viral excitement told an Australian news outlet. And yet. Between turmeric, ginger, bulletproof, and matcha lattes, is it much of a stretch to imagine the heart-healthy avocado becoming another flavor option for ever-popular coffee drinks? (Maybe just served in something more convenient than the avocado skin.) At least it’s a step up from the radioactive-looking Unicorn Frappuccino,
Then again, Merriam Webster has weighed in, and is decidedly not going to be jumping on this bandwagon. Check out some of the other reactions below.
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Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com