Latte
Beverage made with espresso coffee and milk From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beverage made with espresso coffee and milk From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caffè latte (Italian: [kafˌfɛ lˈlatte][1][2]), often shortened to just latte (/ˈlɑːteɪ, ˈlæteɪ/)[3][4] in English, is a coffee drink of Italian origin made with espresso and steamed milk, traditionally served in a glass. Variants include the chocolate-flavored mocha or replacing the coffee with another beverage base such as masala chai (spiced Indian tea), mate, matcha,[5] turmeric or rooibos; alternatives to milk, such as soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk or oat milk, are also used.
Caffè latte in South Australia | |
| Type | Hot and iced beverage, milk coffee |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Espresso, steamed milk |
| Variations | Caffè mocha (chocolate-flavored) |
The term comes from the Italian caffellatte[6] or caffè latte, from caffè e latte, literally 'coffee and milk'; in English orthography, either or both words sometimes have an accent on the final e (a hyperforeignism in the case of *latté). In northern Europe and Scandinavia, the term café au lait has traditionally been used for the combination of espresso and milk. In France, cafè latte is from the original name of the beverage (caffè latte); a combination of espresso and steamed milk equivalent to a "latte" is in French called un crème (un grand crème using cream instead of milk) and in German Milchkaffee.
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A latte consists of one or more shots of espresso, served in a glass (or sometimes a cup), into which hot steamed milk is added.[7] The difference between a latte and a cappuccino is that the cappuccino is served in a small 140 mL (5 US fl oz) cup with a layer of thick foam on top of the milk, and a latte is served in a larger 230 mL (8 US fl oz) glass (or cup), without the layer of thick foam.[8] Thus, a latte is much milkier than a cappuccino, resulting in a milder coffee taste. The way the milk is steamed for a latte results in very fine bubbles being incorporated in the hot milk. This microfoam can be poured in such a way as to form patterns in the white microfoam and brown crema (latte art). The texture of the microfoam changes the taste and feel of the drink.[9]
A similar drink is the latte macchiato, which is also served in a glass, but the espresso is added to the glass after the steamed milk.[7] In Italy, milky coffee drinks such as caffè latte, latte macchiato and cappuccino are almost always prepared for breakfast only.[10]
In the United States, a latte is often heavily sweetened with 3% sugar (or even more). These sweeteners usually come in the form of refined white sugars, artificial sweeteners or agave syrup.[11]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2024) |
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The drink is thought to have "technically originated" in 17th century Europe.[12] Caffè e latte, Milchkaffee, café au lait and café con leche are domestic terms of traditional ways of drinking coffee, usually as part of breakfast in the home. Public cafés in Europe and the United States seem to have no mention of the terms until the twentieth century.
The Italians used the term caffè latte domestically, but it is not known from cafés such as Florian in Venice or any other coffee houses or places where coffee was served publicly. Even when the Italian espresso bar culture bloomed in the years after WWII both in Italy, and in cities such as Vienna and London, espresso and cappuccino are the terms used and latte is missing on coffee menus of that time.[citation needed]
The modern latte appeared in the 20th century, following the invention of the espresso machine in the 19th century.[13] Kenneth Davids maintains that "...breakfast drinks of this kind have existed in Europe for generations, but the (commercial) caffè version of this drink is an American invention".[14][dubious – discuss] The Caffe Mediterraneum in Berkeley, California, claims that one of its early owners, Lino Meiorin, "invented" and "made the latte a standard drink" in the 1950s.[13] However, it is unlikely that Meiorin was the first to add a generous amount of milk to espresso or call such a drink a caffè latte.
The latte was popularized in Seattle, Washington, in the early 1980s[15] and spread more widely in the early 1990s.[16][17]
In northern Europe and Scandinavia, a similar "trend" started in the early 1980s as café au lait became popular again, prepared with espresso and steamed milk. Caffè latte started replacing this term around 1996–97, but both names often exist side by side and generally are more similar than different in preparation.[citation needed]
In South Korea, espresso and its variants (cappuccino, caffè latte, caffè mocha) became popular in 2000.[18]
In English-speaking countries, latte is shorthand for caffelatte or caffellatte (from caffè e latte, lit. 'coffee and milk'), which is similar to the French café au lait, the Spanish café con leche, the Catalan cafè amb llet or the Portuguese galão.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term caffè e latte was first used in English in 1867 by William Dean Howells in his essay "Italian Journeys",[19] but as this preceded the spread of espresso machines, this drink would have been "nothing like the lattes found today at specialty coffee shops".
The French term café au lait was used in cafés in several countries in western continental Europe from 1900 onward; however, the term café crème was used in France for coffee with milk or cream.
In Spanish, the phrase café con leche (coffee with milk) is used, which is by default served in a medium or large cup, whereas the similar cortado (coffee with less milk) is served in a small cup.
The Austrian-Hungarian empire (Central Europe) had its own terminology for the coffees being served in coffee houses. Kapuziner is mentioned in Austrian coffee houses in Vienna and Trieste in the second half of 1700s as "coffee with cream, spices, and sugar" (being the origin of the Italian cappuccino). Melange or café au lait was introduced in Austrian coffeehouses around 1850. In German homes, it was still called Milchkaffee.
In the United States, an iced latte is usually espresso and chilled milk poured over ice.[20] Unlike a hot latte, it does not usually contain steamed milk or foam.[21] Iced lattes often have sugar or flavoring syrups added, although purists prefer them to consist simply of coffee and milk; they also are served blended with ice.[22] The espresso can be pre-chilled (sometimes as a mixture of espresso and milk) or frozen in advance to avoid warming up the drink.[23]
Calling people "latte drinkers" pejoratively has become a common political attack in some Western cultures. The popularity of espresso drinking in large cities, especially among more affluent urban populations, has caused some to consider it elitist behavior. In the United States, conservative political commentators have been known to call their opponents "latte-drinking liberal elites".[33][34][35][36] In Canadian politics, latte drinking is used to portray people as out-of-touch intellectuals and the antithesis of the Tim Hortons coffee drinker, who is considered representative of an ordinary Canadian.[37][38]
According to a 2018 study, 16% of liberals in the United States prefer lattes, whereas 9% of conservatives and 11% of moderates do.[39] The study states further that the overwhelming majority of people, whether they are liberal, conservative or moderate, express a preference for regular brewed coffee.[39]
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