Caffè latte (), often shortened to just latte () in English, is a coffee beverage of Italian origin made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include the chocolate-flavored mocha or replacing the coffee with another beverage base such as

masala chai Masala chai (, ; Urdu: مصالحہ چائے, Hindi: मसाला चाय) is an Indian tea culture, Indian tea beverage made by boiling black tea in milk and water with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices. Originating in India the bever ...

(spiced Indian tea),

mate Mate may refer to: Science * Mate, one of a pair of animals involved in: ** Mate choice, intersexual selection ** Mating * Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein, or MATE, an efflux transporter family of proteins Person or title * Friendship ...

, matcha, turmeric or rooibos; alternatives to milk, such as soy milk or almond milk, are also used. The term comes from the Italian ' or ', from ', literally "coffee and milk"; in English orthography either or both words sometimes have an

accent Accent may refer to: Speech and language * Accent (sociolinguistics), way of pronunciation particular to a speaker or group of speakers * Accent (phonetics), prominence given to a particular syllable in a word, or a word in a phrase ** Pitch ac ...

on the final ''e'' (a hyperforeignism in the case of *''latté'', or to indicate it is pronounced, not the more-common silent final ''e'' of English). In

northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...

and Scandinavia, the term '' café au lait'' has traditionally been used for the combination of espresso and milk. In France, ' 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 and in German '.

Origin and history

Coffee, which was adopted from the Ottoman empire, and milk have been part of

European cuisine European cuisine comprises the cuisines of Europe "European Cuisine."Vienna and Trieste in the second half of 1700s as "coffee with cream, spices, and sugar" (being the origin of the Italian cappuccino). 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". 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". The

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

term ' 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. The

Austrian-Hungarian empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1 ...

(Central Europe) had its own terminology for the coffees being served in coffee houses, while in German homes it was still called '. The Italians used the term ''caffè latte'' domestically, but it is not known from cafés such as '' Florian'' in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

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. In Italian, ' () means " milk"—so ordering a "latte" in Italy will get the customer a glass of milk. In Spanish, the phrase ' (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. In English-speaking countries, ''latte'' is shorthand for ''caffelatte'' or ''caffellatte'' (from ', "coffee and milk"), which is similar to the French '' café au lait'', the Spanish '' café con leche'', the

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

''cafè amb llet'', or the Portuguese ''

galão Galão () is a hot drink from Portugal made by adding foamed milk to espresso coffee. Similar to caffè latte or café au lait, it consists of about one quarter coffee and three quarters foamed milk. It is served in a tall glass, as opposed to t ...

''. 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. The latte was popularized in Seattle, Washington in the early 1980s and spread more widely in the early 1990s. 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.

Current use

In Italy, caffè latte is almost always prepared at home, for breakfast only. This coffee beverage is brewed with a stovetop moka pot and poured into a cup containing heated milk. Unlike the "international" latte drink, generally, the milk in the Italian original is not foamed and sugar is added by the drinker, if at all. Outside Italy, typically a caffè latte is prepared in a glass or cup with one standard shot of espresso (either single, , or double, ) and filled with steamed milk, with a layer of foamed milk approximately thick on the top. In the USA, a latte is often heavily sweetened with 3% sugar (or even more). When wanting to order this beverage in Italy, one should ask for a latte macchiato. A cup of latte with lunch at Merewether Beach,Australia

A cup of latte with lunch at Merewether Beach,Australia

The beverage is related to a cappuccino, the difference being that a cappuccino consists of espresso and steamed milk with a layer of milk foam. A variant found in Australia and New Zealand that is similar to the latte is the

flat white A flat white is a coffee drink consisting of espresso with microfoam (steamed milk with small, fine bubbles and a glossy or velvety consistency). It is comparable to a latte, but smaller in volume and with less microfoam, therefore having a high ...

which is served in a smaller ceramic cup with warmed milk (without the layer of foam). In the United States this beverage is sometimes referred to as a wet cappuccino.

Iced latte

In the United States, an iced latte is usually espresso and chilled milk poured over ice. Unlike a hot latte, it does not usually contain steamed milk or foam. 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. The espresso can be pre-chilled (sometimes as a mixture of espresso and milk) or frozen in advance to avoid warming up the drink.

Serving styles

*In some establishments, lattes are served in a glass on a saucer with a napkin to hold the (sometimes hot) glass. *Sometimes a latte is served in a bowl; in Europe, particularly Scandinavia, this is referred to as a café au lait. *Increasingly common in the United States and Europe, latte art has led to the stylization of coffee making, and the creation of which 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 that 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. *Often iced latte is served unstirred, so that coffee appears to "float" on top of white milk in a glass cup. *
Layered Latte
reverses the traditional order of creating a Latte. Rather than pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso, pouring hot espresso into a glass of steamed milk will create a combination of temperature and density that will cause the latte to split into multiple density layers. Th
science behind the Layered Latte
is referred to as double-diffusive convection. To make the Layered Latte, pour a shot of espresso into a glass of steamed milk at the same temperature. The layering of the beverage is largely dependent on variables such as glass size as well as the ratio between milk and espresso. *A variation of the iced latte, known as the "bootleg latte", "ghetto latte", or "poor man's latte", is an iced espresso ordered in a larger than normal cup that will be filled up with free milk from the condiment station. The beverage has spawned debate at coffee shops where an iced espresso is considerably cheaper than an iced latte. *In South Asia, East Asia, and North America, local variants of teas have been combined with steamed or frothed milk to create "tea latte". Coffee and tea shops now offer hot or iced latte versions of

, matcha, and Royal Milk Tea. An Earl Grey latte is known as a " London fog". *Other flavorings may be added to the latte to suit the taste of the drinker. Vanilla, chocolate, and

caramel Caramel ( or ) is an orange-brown confectionery product made by heating a range of sugars. It can be used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, or as a topping for ice cream and custard. The process of caramelizatio ...

are all popular variants. *In South Africa a red latte is made with rooibos tea and has been known as a caffeine-free alternative to traditional tea or coffee-based latte. *An alternative version of latte may be prepared with soy milk or oat milk, as both have the ability to foam in the same way as cow milk, with soy milk versions being more prevalent. Such alternatives are popular among people with lactose intolerance and

vegans Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet (nutrition), diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is kn ...

. *The Sea Salt Latte, a famous variation of the traditional style latte made with a salted milk foam over an espresso-based coffee, was invented and popularized by Taiwanese international cafe chain 85C Bakery Cafe. Soymilk caffe latte art2 flickr user avlxyz

Soymilk caffe latte art2 flickr user avlxyz

Politics

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 Elitism is the belief or notion that individuals who form an elite—a select group of people perceived as having an intrinsic quality, high intellect, wealth, power, notability, special skills, or experience—are more likely to be construc ...

behavior. In the United States, conservative political commentators have been known to call their opponents "latte-drinking liberal elites". 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.. According to a 2018 study, 16% of liberals in the United States prefer lattes, whereas 9% of conservatives and 11% of moderates do. The study states further that the overwhelming majority of people, whether they are liberal, conservative, or moderate, express a preference for regular brewed coffee.

References