Low FODMAP lattes (and why catering for special diets is only the beginning)

Update: Rice milk has now been found to be high in oligosaccharides, despite rice itself being low in FODMAPs. Personally, I cope alright with this type of FODMAP (I'm not too sensitive to oligos) but if you're on the exclusion phase, rice milk is no longer suitable. Instead, I recommend So Good soy milk (made with soy protein, not the bean) or almond milk.

Looking for a low-FODMAP latte? Have found the cafe for you!

I like coffee. I mean I really like coffee. And since I started my low-FODMAP diet, I have been drinking it black (lactose is not my friend, cafes use high-FODMAP soy milk, and almond milk hasn't yet been tested).  

I love my morning Americanos. And I happen to drink the best coffee in town. But black coffee is a very no-nonsense way to drink your coffee. 

A flat white will wake you up by gently nudging your brain into action. Black coffee pulls you out of bed, throws you against the wall, and shakes you violently into frantic alertness. 

This is exactly what I want - ok, need - on a Monday morning. But it isn't quite what I'm after on a quiet Saturday. 

Which is why it is so exciting that we discovered Deluxe today during our morning stroll to Moore Wilson's. 

Deluxe is a small, hipster cafe that serves Havana coffee. And, you guessed it, they offer rice milk (!!). 

Now, other cafes in Wellington may also serve rice milk (if you know of any, I'd love to hear about them). But Deluxe is the only one I have ever seen advertise it. 

Asking for special ingredients can be annoying and embarrassing. Especially rice milk. It is a level of coffee-fussiness that doesn't even make the what-your-coffee-order-says-about-you list.

Cafes - if you cater for dietary requirements, you have to make it known. It is not enough to cater to us. Seriously, it isn't. If people on special diets don't even get a mention on your blackboard, it isn't inclusive. It just reinforces stigma around alternative diets, which are often related to very serious health issues. It is really important to remember that many of us who are on special diets don't have a choice about it. 

I care much more about feeling welcome than I do about having rice milk in my coffee. 

And for that reason, Deluxe has won my heart. And my weekend patronage. 

Me and my rice milk flat white.

Update: Apparently Coffee Culture in Timaru offers rice milk (I'm not sure about the other Coffee Culture stores).