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Latte

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A latte is a warm and milky coffee drink.

It comes from the country of Italy. This drink is special because it is very mild. People love it because the milk makes the coffee taste soft. In Italy, the word latte is a very common word. It simply means milk to the people there. If you order a latte in Italy, you might just get a glass of milk.

Glass of Coffee Latte with Pastry (2)
Glass of Coffee Latte with Pastry (2)

This is why the full name is caffè latte.

Making a latte follows a specific way. First, a person makes one or more shots of espresso. Espresso is a very strong kind of coffee. Next, they add hot steamed milk to the espresso. The milk is steamed to create microfoam. Microfoam is milk with very fine, tiny bubbles inside. This texture changes how the drink feels in your mouth.

Latte at Doppio Ristretto Chiang Mai 01
Latte at Doppio Ristretto Chiang Mai 01

Some people use this milk to make latte art. They pour the white foam into the brown coffee. This creates pretty patterns on the top of the drink.

The history of this drink is quite long. Some say it began in Europe during the 17th century. A writer named William Dean Howells wrote about it in his book. He said he had a caffè latte on a steamship. He was traveling from Trieste to Venice at that time. The modern version of the drink appeared in the 20th century. This was only possible because of new machines. The espresso machine was invented in the 19th century.

New tools changed how people made coffee. In 1903, a steam wand was added to the espresso machine. This tool was very important for the drink. It allowed people to add heat and texture to the milk. Without this wand, making microfoam would be much harder.

Latte at Doppio Ristretto Chiang Mai 01
Latte at Doppio Ristretto Chiang Mai 01

A latte is also different from a cappuccino. A cappuccino is served in a small cup. It has a layer of thick foam on top. A latte is much larger and milkier than a cappuccino.

People enjoy lattes in many different ways today. In Italy, people often drink milky coffees for breakfast. In the United States, people sometimes like them very sweet. They might add white sugar to the drink. Some people use agave syrup or artificial sweeteners. A different drink called a macchiato is also similar. In that drink, the espresso is added after the milk. Each way of making it creates a new taste.

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🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Coffee with milk (563800).jpg
Coffee with milk (563800).jpg
File:Latte at Doppio Ristretto Chiang Mai 01.jpg
Latte at Doppio Ristretto Chiang Mai 01.jpg
File:Glass of Coffee Latte with Pastry (2).jpg
Glass of Coffee Latte with Pastry (2).jpg
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