What is a Latte?

Latte’s and its iconic latte art is popping up at every social media stream. People are falling in love with the latte. It is cherished and famous for its delicious taste and creamy texture. But what is exactly a latte? It has the same ingredients as some other (very good) tasting coffee based drinks.

When I started to drink coffee, I was dazzled by all the choices I would have when entering a coffee shop. I was too afraid to ask people for the exact difference, so I did my research online. Now I can teach you what the exact differences are between latte, cappuccino, flat white and coffee. So the next time you walk into a coffee shop, you can order like a pro or amaze your friends at home.

My definition of a Latte
How latte originated
Latte compared to other kinds of coffees
How to brew a latte
Is everything with the name ‘latte’ a coffee?
Where do you get your latte on the go?

My definition of a Latte

A latte is a golden combination of coffee and milk. Brewed, steamed and poured in the right combination. The ration between coffee and steamed milk (with the foam) is ⅓ coffee and ⅔ milk. The milk part contains steamed milk and a smaller layer of foamed milk on the top.

How latte originated

How and where the latte originated is a debate which is still ongoing. Some say the latte as we know it today originated in Italy in the early 7th century. Coffee and milk is a long-standing tradition in European cuisine. You can find it in French culture as ‘cafe au lait’, Spanisch as ‘café con leche’, Germans and Austrians referring to ‘Milchkauffee’. And the Dutch cows produce too much milk, so they also poured it in their coffee referring to it as ‘koffie met melk’.

At the same time a legend goes that an Italian barista created the drink to appeal to American customers who were looking for something less strong than espresso. This legend dates back to the mid 20th century. The latte quickly became a popular choice at cafes all over America and today it is one of the most popular coffee drinks around.

Fact

One of the most used sweeteners is vanilla syrup. A broader public was reached when vanilla was added to the latte.

Because the drink originated in so many parts of the world, you just need to be sure to order and pronounce your latte correctly, otherwise you end up with a plain glass of milk.

Country	Name	Pronounce
Italy	Caffe Latte	Ca-fey Lah-tee
USA	Latte	La-tee
France	Café Crème (or café latte)	Ca-fee cre-mee
Spain	Café con leche	Ca-fey con leg-he

Don’t worry too much if you by accident order just a ‘latte, please’. With all the traveling in the world most cafe owners and baristas know if you order a ‘latte’ you are referring to the espresso shot with a cream milk foam on top of it.

Latte compared to other kinds of coffees

Why all the fuss about a latte? Isn’t this exactly the same as all the other types of coffee and milk combinations? The Italians or basically any barista and coffee lover would kindly tell you otherwise. So make sure you understand the difference.

A latte with some light breakfast in the morning

Difference latte vs cappuccino

A cappuccino is espresso with steamed milk, which is topped with foamed milk. A latte is espresso with steamed milk and then topped with a small amount of foamed milk.

The main difference between cappuccino and latte is that cappuccinos contain more milk foam than lattes. Cappuccinos are also served in smaller quantities than lattes. Lattes have more steamed milk than foamed milk, making them higher in calories.

Difference latte vs coffee

What's the difference between a latte and coffee? A latte is made with espresso and steamed milk, while coffee is simply brewed from ground coffee beans. The espresso gives lattes a stronger flavor than regular coffee. If you are looking for an easy made coffee, the coffee wins from the latte.

Difference latte vs flat white

A latte is an espresso with steamed milk and a little layer of foamed milk on top of it, while a flat white only has steamed milk. As they both have the same amount of espresso it is the foamed milk which makes the difference. A flat white is most often served in the same size glass or cup as a cappuccino - (6 oz) 150 - 180 ml. A latte is served in a bigger size cup (10 oz) 300ml. As the latte glass is topped to the rim, it has a higher amount of milk in the drink.

How to brew a latte

Instead of buying a latte, you can easily make a latte at home. Make sure you have the basic ingredients and off you go. A latte is preferably made with espresso, but if you don’t have an espresso machine use a moka stove top.

Equipment

Espresso machine or a moka stove top
Steam wand on your espresso machine
- Or a milk frother device
Metal pitcher
Glass or cup of 10 oz (300 ml)

Have all your equipment ready. This makes it handy to quickly brew your own caffe latte.

Ingredients

1 shot espresso (30ml)
150 ml milk 2% fat

Still getting used to the taste or if you want it sweetener add some syrup like vanilla or chocolate syrup

Steps to follow

Brew one shot of espresso. Make sure you pick a bigger cup if you go for the two espresso shots.
Pour the milk in a pitcher. Place your steam wand in the midst of the pitcher, but keep it on the top surface of your milk.
First introduce air into the milk. Your milk should start running in circles. If you do this at home, it will probably take between 15 - 20 seconds. With a professional machine, this can be done in 3-4 seconds. If your milk is swirling and stretching, push the tip of the steam wand under off ⅓ of your milk. Stop with the air if the outside of the metal pitcher becomes slightly warm to touch.
Pour your steamed milk from a bit of a height into your espresso and the more you pour in the cup, the closer you get.
Want to add some barista art? At first try the heart shape, this is just normal round with at the last pour you pour it outwards to the other side.

Tip

You have the ideal milk foam texture if it looks like wet latex paint, with a nice glossy shine on the surface.

Is everything with the name ‘latte’ a coffee?

A latte in the USA is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. The term “latte” is derived from the Italian word “caffè e latte”, meaning “coffee & milk”. A latte typically contains 1-2 ounces of espresso and 8-10 ounces of steamed milk, resulting in a much milder flavor than an espresso. But not everything with the term ‘latte’ is coffee-drink. So what do you get if you order these other drinks?

What is a chai latte?

A chai latte is a spiced tea drink that usually contains black tea, milk, and a blend of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger. The spices are well suited to the hot drink. Chai latte originated from India, the country of spices. Every single province or town has its own unique recipe for a chai latte.

What is a matcha latte?

A matcha latte is a type of green tea that is made from powder instead of leaves. It is usually combined with milk and sweetness to create a drink that has many health benefits. So when ordering this type of latte, you have a completely different taste experience.

What is a latte macchiato?

A latte macchiato is a coffee drink that originated in Italy. It is made by espresso coffee with a small amount of milk, and then topped with steamed milk and foam.

What is a latte iced?

Yes, this is definitely a coffee-based drink. And has a high peak in demands during hot summer months. To make it plain and simple: a latte iced is espresso poured over ice cubes and topped off with milk. The milk is used cold, otherwise the ice cubes melt quicker.

Answered your question to what is a latte? Indulge your thirst for knowledge and find out what an iced latte is and how to make them.

Where do you get your latte on the go?

There are a lot of places to get a latte and they all have their own recipe for making one.

What is a latte at Starbucks?

The ‘latte’ at Starbucks is prepared in the same way as a ‘latte’ in another coffee shop. The main difference could appear in the ingredients and the amount of how much is used. For the caffe latte from Starbucks one or two espresso are poured directly in the cup. The milk that is used as standard is a 2% fat milk.

When the milk is steamed, it is aerated to create the rich, creamy texture that all latte drinkers know. The aerating process actually makes the milk a bit sweeter. The foam is a by-product of this process. When pouring the milk over the espresso the foam is held back. The steamed milk is added to a certain mark point in the cup, unless you request otherwise. As a final step, a scoop of foam milk is put on top of your ‘caffe latte’. By adhering to these particular ingredients and measurement points in the process, Starbucks is able to produce over and over again a similar drink, wherever you order.

What is a latte at Dunkin Donuts?

The latte at Dunkin Donuts uses a medium and nutty-tasting roast for the latte. Changing the roast will bring a different flavor to your favorite drink. The rest of the steps are similar to the Starbucks latte.

Brew the espresso for the Dunkin Donuts latte, use as coffee beans a medium roast. Pour the espresso in a cup. Use a steam wand to heat up your milk and froth it at the same time. If you are trying to make this at home, heat up your milk in a microwave and use a mixer to froth the milk. The hotter the milk, the easier you get this nice velvet looking milk foam. Don’t make your milk boil, though!

Add the steamed milk to your espresso, but keep the foam behind. Take a spoon and scoop the foam on top of your latte. Taste the difference between a medium roast latte and a dark roast latte.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some commonly asked questions people have about latte answered by our experts.

A latte is made with espresso, which is coffee. However, a latte has more milk than a typical cup of coffee, so it may be creamier and have less caffeine. So yes, one of the main ingredients of latte is coffee.

Yes, but not persé. It depends on how strong you make your regular coffee. But, most often, regular coffee has more water. The ratio of water and coffee grounds is stronger with espresso than with regular coffee. With regular coffee the ratio of water is doubled. As the espresso is pushed with a higher pressure through the coffee grounds the flavor is more intense.

The milk is another component that makes the latte less strong. So as a baseline you could say a latte is stronger, but it brought down in intensity through the milk. It was one of the reason why the milk was even added to the espresso.

No, but you can make it sweet. With number one of sweeteners being vanilla syrup. Big commercial chains are even selling their cold version of vanilla latte prepacked. As with normal coffee you can make your latte as sweet as you like.

Yes, you can. If you are buying lactose free milk it means the extra lactase is added to the milk. The lactase has neutralized the lactose for you. But there is still enough protein within the milk to make it foamy.

Yes, you can. Not all people can use dairy products, and luckily there are some fine alternatives. Almond and oat milk are your best bets for dairy free milk if you want to make a latte. Both are producing a thick layering type of foam when froth. The dairy-free milk stays on top of your espresso and you can even make beautiful barista art. Coconut milk is sometimes also used, but doesn’t get so thick during frothing.

Yes, there is caffeine in a latte. The espresso is the carrier of caffeine. If you want less or no caffeine, ask for a decaf latte.

What is a Latte?

Table of Contents

My definition of a Latte

How latte originated