Latte

For the type of pillar found in the Marianas Islands, see Latte stone.

A latte (from the Italian caffè latte or caffellatte pronounced [ˌkaffelˈlatte], meaning "coffee [and] milk") is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include replacing the coffee with another drink base such as chai, mate or matcha. The word is also sometimes incorrectly spelled latté or lattè—the diacritical mark being added as a hyperforeignism.

Origin

In Italian latte (Italian pronunciation: [ˈlatte], English: /ˈlɑːteɪ/) means milk. What in English-speaking countries is now called a latte is shorthand for "caffelatte" or "caffellatte" ("caffè e latte"). The Italian form means "coffee and milk", similar to the French café au lait, the Spanish café con leche and the Portuguese café com leite. Other drinks commonly found in shops serving caffè lattes are cappuccinos and espressos.

Caffe Mediterraneum in Berkeley, California claims to have "invented" the latte.

Ordering a "latte" in Italy will get the customer a glass of hot or cold milk.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary the term caffè latte was first used in English in 1847 (as caffè latto) by Noushi Nayebi, and in 1867 as caffè latte by William Dean Howells in his essay "Italian Journeys". However, Kenneth David, in his Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying maintains that "At least until recently, ordering a 'latte' in Italy got you a puzzled look and a hot glass of milk. The American-style caffè latte did not exist in Italian caffès, except perhaps in a few places dominated by American tourists... Obviously breakfast drinks of this kind have existed in Europe for generations, but the (commercial) caffè version of this drink is an American invention. For generations, a home-brewed caffellatte cup has been the mainstay of the Italian breakfast, especially in winter and in the North and Center of the country; children are usually given a milder version, where instant barley takes the place of coffee. During hard wartime days mammas have even had to make do with ground roasted acorns or chicory roots.

Spelling variations

Coffee menus worldwide use a number of spelling variations for words to indicate coffee and milk, often using incorrect accents or a combination of French and Italian terms. Italian is caffè latte, (with a grave accent over the e), while French is café au lait (with an acute accent); Spanish is café con leche and Portuguese is café com leite. Variants such as caffé latte, café latte, and caffé lattè are commonly seen in English.

Current use

In Italy, caffè latte is almost always prepared at home, for breakfast only. The coffee is brewed with a stovetop Moka pot and poured into a cup containing heated milk. (Unlike the international latte drink, the milk in the Italian original is not foamed.)

Outside Italy, a caffè latte is typically prepared in a 240 mL (8 oz) glass or cup with one standard shot of espresso (either single, 30 mL, or double, 60 mL) and filled with steamed milk, with a layer of foamed milk approximately 12 mm (½ inch) thick on the top. A caffè latte may also be served consisting of strong or bold coffee (sometimes espresso) mixed with scalded milk in approximately a 1:1 ratio. The drink is similar to a cappuccino, the difference being that a cappuccino consists of espresso and steamed milk with a 20 mm (¾ inch) layer of thick milk foam. An Australian/New Zealand variant similar to the latte is the flat white, which is served in a smaller ceramic cup with the creamy steamed milk poured over a single-shot of espresso, holding back the lighter froth at the top.

Caffè latte vs. latte macchiato

Further information: Latte macchiato

A glass of Latte Macchiato

A caffè latte differs from a latte macchiato in that in a latte macchiato, espresso is added to milk, rather than the reverse. A caffè latte has a stronger coffee flavor.

The latte macchiato is milk steamed to microfoam, served in a glass with a half shot of espresso poured gently through the foamy top layer, creating a layered drink with a macchia – a spot – of espresso on the top. As with an espresso macchiato, which is espresso with a spot of milk atop, indicating there's a hint of milk underneath the cream, a latte macchiato is the opposite, to indicate there is espresso in the milk.

The use of the term 'macchiato' has been widened to include a huge array of beverages and ice creams. In some countries (like Germany), latte macchiato is the preferred term.

Serving styles

• In some establishments, lattes are served in a glass on a saucer with a napkin to hold the (sometimes hot) glass.
• A latte is sometimes served in a bowl; in Europe, particularly Scandinavia, this is referred to as a cafe au lait.
• Increasingly common in the United States and Europe, latte art has led to the stylization of coffee making, and the creation of what is now a popular art form. Created by pouring steaming, and mostly frothed, milk into the coffee, that liquid is introduced into the beverage in such a way, patterns are distinguishable on the top of coffee. Popular patterns can include hearts, flowers, trees and other forms of simplistic representations of images and objects.
• Iced latte is often served unstirred so that coffee appears to "float" on top of white milk in a glass cup.
• The relatively high prices demanded by some establishments have led to the creation of ghetto latte or bootleg lattes, whereby customers mix their own latte by ordering a lower-priced cup of espresso and then mixing it with milk and other condiments offered for free at the condiments bar.
• In Asia and North America, lattes have been combined with Asian teas. Coffee and tea shops now offer hot or iced latte versions of chai, matcha, and Royal milk tea.
• Other flavorings can be added to the latte to suit the taste of the drinker. Vanilla, chocolate, and caramel are all popular variants.
• In South Africa a red latte is made with rooibos tea.

See also

• Galão