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| Alternative names | Caffè latte,caffè e latte,caffellatte,caffelatte |
|---|---|
| Type | Milk coffee |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Espresso, steamedmilk |
Latte[a] (/ˈlɑːteɪ,ˈlæteɪ/)[1][2] orcaffè latte (Italian:[kafˌfɛlˈlatte]),[3][4] also known ascaffè e latte,caffellatte orcaffelatte, is acoffee drink ofItalian origin made withespresso and steamedmilk, traditionally served in a glass.
The termlatte comes fromcaffellatte[5] orcaffè latte (fromcaffè e latte,lit. 'coffee and milk'); inEnglish orthography, either or both words sometimes have anaccent on the finale (ahyperforeignism in the case of *latté).
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A caffè latte consists of one or more shots ofespresso, served in a glass (or sometimes a cup), to which hot steamed milk is added.[6] The difference between a caffè latte and acappuccino 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 caffè latte is served in a larger 230 mL (8 US fl oz) glass (or cup), without the layer of thick foam.[7] Thus, a caffè latte is much milkier than a cappuccino, resulting in a milder coffee taste. The way the milk is steamed for a caffè latte results in very fine bubbles being incorporated in the hot milk. Thismicrofoam can be poured in such a way as to form patterns in the white microfoam and browncrema (latte art). The texture of the microfoam changes the taste and feel of the drink.[8]
A similar drink is thelatte macchiato, which is also served in a glass, but the espresso is added to the glass after the steamed milk.[6] In Italy, milky coffee drinks such as caffè latte,latte macchiato, and cappuccino are often prepared for breakfast only.[9]
In the United States, a latte is often heavily sweetened with 3% sugar (or even more). These sweeteners usually come in the form of refinedwhite sugars,artificial sweeteners oragave syrup.[10]
The termcaffè e latte is first attested in English in 1867, inWilliam Dean Howells's "Italian Journeys".[11] As this preceded the spread ofespresso machines, it would not have been made with espresso coffee and steamed milk.
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The drink is thought to have "technically originated" in 17th-century Europe.[12] In William Dean Howells' "Italian Journeys", he notes that he was served the beverage on a steamship when traveling fromTrieste toVenice.[13]
The modern caffè latte appeared in the 20th century, following the invention of the espresso machine in the 19th century.[14] This was made possible by the addition of thesteam wand to the espresso machine in 1903, which made it possible to add heat and texture to milk added to coffee.[15]
Media related toLatte at Wikimedia Commons
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