For those tired of the glut of rainbows and unicorn-themed dishes, the latest Instagram trend is a breath of fresh air. We reported recently on the beautiful and monochromatic black ice cream, which gets its colour from activated charcoal. Now, unicorn haters have a new option: black lattes.

A post shared by DAMSON & CO – SOHO (@damsonandco) on Feb 21, 2017 at 5:38am PST

Popular in the UK and Australia, these lattes are coloured using activated charcoal, though some versions also involve black sesame seeds and almond, soy or coconut milk. Activated charcoal is used as a treatment for poisoning, and, more benignly, as a means of reducing bloating and flatulence, but if you ask us, the popularity of activated-charcoal dishes is most likely down to their elegant appearance.

Some doctors, however, have come out in protest against the trend, saying it could do more harm than good. Speaking to Women’s Health, gastroenterologist Patricia Raymond cautioned that thanks to its powers of asbsorption, it can also absorb medication – such as birth control pills – making the drugs ineffective. It’s also associated with Coal Miner’s Lung and inflamation of the colon. So perhaps ordinary coloured coffee ain’t so bad, after all?

A post shared by Speciality Coffee & Roaster (@whitemojo) on Feb 15, 2017 at 5:26pm PST

But what do they taste like? Instagram is strangely mum on this small detail, possibly because users post a picture before tasting the thing.

A post shared by Speciality Coffee & Roaster (@whitemojo) on Jan 22, 2017 at 4:06am PST

According to Eater, various scientific studies have suggested that bright colours help stave off boredom while eating, and that brightly coloured foods are perceived as more flavourful than their plain counterparts. So maybe there was something in those rainbow colours after all? That said, nothing tastes as good as Instagram likes.

A post shared by Speciality Coffee & Roaster (@whitemojo) on May 2, 2017 at 3:23am PDT

We’ve yet to find a coffee shop offering black lattes in South Africa, but Sea Point vegetarian restaurant Scheckters Raw does offer a black activated-charcoal juice with apple, lemon and alkaline water, as well as activated charcoal buns for burgers and hot dogs.

A post shared by Scheckter’s RAW (@schecktersraw) on May 18, 2017 at 1:21am PDT

And at Bootlegger, you can find pink, yellow and green superfood lattes made with beetroot and ginger; turmeric, spice and coconut oil; and matcha, respectively. 

A post shared by Bootlegger Coffee (@bootleggercoffeecompany) on Dec 22, 2016 at 2:41am PST

*29 May 2017: This article was updated to include concerns voiced by members of the medical fraternity.