The termlatte comes fromcaffellatte[6] 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). In Northern Europe and Scandinavia, the termcafé 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 calledun crème (un grand crème using cream instead of milk) and in GermanMilchkaffee.
A caffè latte consists of one or more shots ofespresso, served in a glass (or sometimes a cup), into which hot steamed milk is added.[7] 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.[8] 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 brown crema (latte art). The texture of the microfoam changes the taste and feel of the drink.[9]
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.[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 refinedwhite sugars,artificial sweeteners oragave syrup.[11]
According to theOxford English Dictionary, the termcaffè e latte was first used in English in 1867 byWilliam Dean Howells in his essay "Italian Journeys",[12] but as this preceded the spread ofespresso machines, this drink would have been "nothing like the lattes found today at specialty coffee shops".
Calling people "latte drinkers" pejoratively has become a common political attack in someWestern cultures. The popularity of espresso drinking in large cities, especially among more affluent urban populations, has caused some to consider itelitist behavior. In the United States, conservative political commentators have been known to call their opponents "latte-drinkingliberal elites"[17][18][19][20] or "latte liberals".[21][22] In Canadian politics, latte drinking is used to portray people as out-of-touch intellectuals and the antithesis of theTim Hortons coffee drinker, who is considered representative of an ordinary Canadian.[23][24]
According to a 2018 study, 16% of liberals in the United States prefer lattes, whereas 9% of conservatives and 11% of moderates do.[25] The study states further that the overwhelming majority of people, whether they are liberal, conservative or moderate, express a preference for brewed coffee.[25]
^"Americans wake up and smell the coffee".New York Times. September 2, 1992.Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 17, 2017.... espresso-based drinks with names like caffe latte ....
^Seong, U-je (November 30, 2000)."젊음의 커피, 에소프레소가 뜬다" [Coffee of the young, espresso is rising].Sisajournal (in Korean).
^"The politics of me".New York Times. August 18, 1996.Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 17, 2017....self-indulgent, self-centered, latte-drinking, DKNY-wearing, BMW-driving, inner-child-searching softies..
^"The anti-mall".New York Times. October 9, 1994.Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 17, 2017.... hip-hopping community of MTV-watching, planet-saving, latte-sipping individualists...
^"The".New York Times. January 11, 2004.Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 17, 2017....government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving,New-York-Times-reading...