Tommie Springer

Latte is a very popular word among coffee drinkers, with it being found on restaurant menus all around the world. Latte is the Italian word for milk. When one orders a Caffe Latte, which is one of the more popular drinks in coffee shops, one is simply ordering a coffee with warm milk.

In Italy, caffelattes are rather different from the Caffe Lattes we are so accustomed to ordering at our local coffee shops. An Italian caffelatte is a drink only prepared at home, and only taken for breakfast. The traditional way to prepare this in Italiy is by first brewing the coffee on a Moka, which is a stovetop coffee maker, and then pouring the coffee into a cup. Afterwards, the milk is heated in a specific manner, and then added into the cup as well. Although the Moka does not really produce genuine espresso, it creates a double-strength coffee. If you find yourself ordering a Latte instead of a Caffe Latte in an Italian restaurant, chances are high that you will find yourself drinking a glass of milk instead of your coffee with milk.

Outside of Italy, a Caffe Latte is quite similar to a cappuccino. A Caffe Latte is a mixture of a single shot of espresso and a generous serving of steamed milk. Milk to coffee in this drink is roughly a 3:1 ratio, and the foamed milk is usually a layer of about a quarter inch thick. A Cappuccino, on the other hand, is traditionally composed of an equal ratio of espresso, steamed milk and frothed milk.

The main difference between the Caffe Latte and the Cappuccino though, is basically the amount of foam on top. In some cases, the drinks also differ in size and in serving styles. In terms of size, the cappuccino is sometimes a slightly smaller drink compared to the Caffe Latte. Also, some establishments serve the milk of a Caffe Latte in a small bowl.

In French, a Caffe Latte is known as a Café au Lait. It is, too, very similar to a Caffe Latte and a Cappuccino, the difference being the Café au Lait is made with brewed coffee and not espresso. Also, there is a 1:1 ratio of milk to coffee, and sugar is sometimes used to add taste.

However, all these drinks use a similar technique for steaming the milk. The foam and the temperature should both be taken into consideration, and you know the steamed milk was done correctly when there are no bubbles visible in the milk.

Nowadays, there are many more variations of the Caffe Latte available on menus at restaurants and coffee shops. Some alternatives of the drink’s ingredients are hot chocolate, syrups of different flavors, or low-fat milk. Changes were also made to the way that this drink is served, such as serving it with whipped cream on top. Iced Caffe Lattes are another variation, where the coffee and milk are poured over some ice cubes. This is a drink found to be extremely refreshing during the hotter days.