This Matte Black Latte Is As Dark As Your Soul

There's a new aesthetically pleasing beverage in town, and its name doesn't start with "unicorn." For those who stand in opposition to that cutesy trend, fear no more. The Matte Black Latte matches even the darkest of souls.

Round K, a coffeehouse in New York City's Lower East Side, boasts a menu full of experimental drinks — an egg cappuccino and a wasabi latte, for example. Now owner Ockhyeon Byeon has added the Matte Black Latte in tribute to customers who order black coffee even though it's not actually black, reports the Huffington Post. The semi-sweet non-dairy drink consists of almond milk, espresso, 98 percent Dutch process cacao, and a topping of coconut cream and marzipan, according to Gothamist. It also incorporates coconut ash — an activated charcoal — which, Byeon adds, has been proven to whiten teeth.

"[Customers are] always surprised and shocked [when they first try the drink]," Byeon told the Huffington Post. "No one expected it to be actually black, so when I serve people the drink, their first response is often, 'Wow, it really is black.'"

Activated charcoal has become an increasingly fashionable element in the health sphere, although some critics have questioned its usefulness. Here are the best and worst ways to use it.