What is latte macchiato to the Italian, is coffee to milk to the German? Not quite. Although both coffee specialties consist of coffee and milk, there are still differences in the recipe, the preparation and of course the taste. And then there’s the caffè latte…
Coffee with milk: the subtle differences
Latte macchiato, caffè latte, coffee with milk – isn’t it all the same? A combination of coffee and milk? no way. These are coffee specialties with different recipes and with different regional traditions:
The caffè latte comes from Italy and is prepared with warm milk and milk foam.
Milk coffee is a German specialty. However, this does not mean the black coffee with a dash of cold milk, as you may know it from the office kitchen, but a drink that is made from 50 percent coffee and 50 percent warm milk. The high proportion of milk is characteristic of the milk coffee and ensures a pleasantly mild, slightly sweet aroma that harmonises perfectly with an intense coffee.
Latte macchiato consists of espresso, milk and milk froth. Typical is the tall glass in which it is served, in which the different layers are particularly visible.
Milk coffee: how to prepare it
How do you prepare a latte yourself? With this recipe, you can enjoy creamy coffee at home:
Brew a strong filter coffee in your coffee maker. Alternatively, for an original Italian preparation, use a Moka, the two-part coffee maker for the stovetop. Note that you need 180 milliliters of coffee for a cup of latte.
At the same time, heat 180 milliliters of fresh whole milk in a small saucepan. Be careful not to overheat the milk. It shouldn’t be more than 70 degrees – that damages the lactose, the milk tastes burnt. If necessary, use a kitchen thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Tip: For a vegan latte, you can replace whole milk with a plant-based alternative made from soy, almonds or oats. However, keep in mind that the taste and consistency of the milk alternatives will affect your milk coffee.
Fill the fresh coffee into a sufficiently large cup. Then add the heated milk.
Variant: If you like, you can garnish your milk coffee with a little milk froth topping. But that is not a must.
What is cafe au lait?
The café au lait is widespread in France. It is particularly popular there for breakfast with a croissant, which is often dipped in the coffee. Like latte, café au lait consists of equal parts coffee and warm milk. However, the French do not serve the coffee variety in a cup, but in a large, handleless bowl – the so-called “Bol”.
Difference between latte macchiato and milk coffee: This is what makes the latte different
Like coffee with milk, latte macchiato is characterized by a particularly high proportion of milk. Last but not least, the two coffee specialties differ from each other in terms of appearance.
Mixing ratio: For the latte coffee and warm milk are mixed in equal parts. In contrast, you prepare a latte macchiato from one part espresso and four parts milk.
Milk: For a latte, the milk is heated on the stove. Use your espresso machine or a frother to prepare creamy milk froth for a latte macchiato.
Vessel: The latte is served in a large cup. The latte macchiato, on the other hand, is characterized by the large, tall glass.
Preparation: While you first pour the coffee and then the warm milk into the cup for a latte, for a latte macchiato you first pour the hot milk and the milk froth into the glass. Only then does the espresso follow.
Appearance: This method of preparation creates the typical three layers of the latte macchiato, which visually distinguish the coffee specialty from the milk coffee.
Milk coffee and caffè latte: is there a difference?
In addition to the latte macchiato, the caffè latte will take you on a culinary journey to Bella Italia. It is reminiscent of the busy cafés in the big cities where locals enjoy their morning coffee. The milk content is also high in the caffè latte. However, the caffè latte is not to be equated with the milk coffee and differs from the latte macchiato despite the similarity in name.
The preparation of the caffè latte is basically a mixture of milk coffee and latte macchiato:
Instead of filter coffee, the caffè latte is prepared with a single or double espresso. This makes it similar to the latte macchiato.
As with latte macchiato, the milk is not only heated, but frothed. A topping of creamy milk froth is part of the Italian caffè latte.
As with milk coffee, with caffè latte the coffee or espresso comes first and then the milk goes into the glass or cup.
