[2] The coffee beans themselves are not actually white; the colour comes from the milk stirred into the end product.

In Malaysia, the original white coffee started in the Ipoh and was a drink made from beans roasted in margarine and served with sweetened condensed milk.

However, white coffee in Malaysia often simply refers to how the drink is prepared and presented – with margarine.

[3] White coffee, on the other hand, is produced with only margarine and without any sugar, resulting in a less dark roast.

Chinese: 白; pinyin: bái; Jyutping: Baak6, commonly meaning 'white', has nothing to do with the colour in this instance, but is rather a reference to the way the coffee is roasted.