The term comes from the Italian caffellatte or caffè latte, from caffè e latte, literally "coffee and milk"; in English orthography either or both words sometimes have an accent on the final e (a hyperforeignism in the case of *latté, or to indicate it is pronounced, not the more-common silent final e of English).
What about the latte? Latte simply means milk in Italian. So latte is not actually a coffee drink. That's also why you call it latte art, milk art.
What Is In a Latte? A latte begins with the same base — a single or double shot of espresso. This espresso is then combined with several ounces of steamed milk to create a rich, creamy beverage that has a more subtle espresso taste. The typical ratio for espresso to steamed milk is about 1-to-2.
Origins of the Latte
The first use of the term “caffè latte” may have been in 1867 in William Dean Howells's essay Italian Journeys.
According to MasterClass, an Italian-trained barista, Lino Meiorin, is often said to be the true inventor of the caffè latte. He's well known for serving this drink in Berkeley, California, and may be the reason it became so popular in the 1950s.
A caffe latte typically has a 2:1 ratio of milk to espresso, with more steamed milk than a latte, which usually has a 1:2 ratio of milk to coffee.
Caffè latte/latte macchiato
Caffè latte translates to coffee and milk. It will usually come in a tall glass filled with espresso and steamed milk.
The full name for a latte is caffe latte (often incorrectly written as “café latte”).
While Seattle may have made this drink famous, it was invented here at the Caffe Mediterraneum in the late 1950's. Lino Meiorin, one of the owners, was the first Italian-trained barista in the Bay Area.
Koffie verkeerd, or "wrong coffee", is a typical Dutch way of consuming coffee: half automatic drip coffee and half warm milk. It's called "wrong" because traditionally coffee only contains a "wolkje", a small cloud, of milk.
English: A poor man's latte (sometimes called a "ghetto latte" or a "bootleg latte") is an iced espresso filled up with free milk. After a customer orders and pays for a shot of espresso poured over ice, the customer fills the cup with milk, cream, or half-and half, making an iced latte or breve.
Gary said that while Italians historically served lattes in a glass, he doesn't think it was a choice based on flavour. In fact, he suspects it was simply a way of showing off the different layers of coffee and milk. “You shouldn't be tainting the flavor with either glass or ceramic,” he said.
A latte is a beverage made with a single shot of espresso rather than brewed coffee and has a layer of foam on top. An iced latte is made the same way, just with cold coffee and milk.
Which coffee type has the weakest taste? A latte is generally considered the least intense coffee. Made with freshly brewed espresso, the taste is then made less intense because of the volume of milk added, which makes it sweeter tasting and with a more mellow taste.
Lattes – Lattes are originally from Italy, where they're known as Caffè lattes. They aren't as sweet as mochas, likely because they don't include chocolate. A typical latte consists of steamed milk poured on top of an espresso, giving a creamy taste to an otherwise bitter espresso.
The word for milk in Italian is latte (masculine, plural: latti).
The only milk found in a macchiato is steamed milk. Whereas a latte has a combination of steamed milk and a layer of foamed milk on top. It often comes with a bit of added cream on top too. Macchiatos are more common among the two in Italy.
The difference is that a mocha contains chocolate, whereas a latte is simply espresso and steamed milk. A mocha will be sweeter than a latte because of the additional added chocolate. Mochas contain more calories than lattes, given that they are simply lattes with added chocolate and sometimes whipped cream.
A common coffee ordered in Australian cafes is the 'latte'. Served in a glass, it's an 'espresso' topped up with steamed milk with just a dollop of milk froth on top.
Café Crème (or Café Latte)
When you're craving a cappuccino in France, you'll want to order a café crème. It's a classic espresso with steamed milk topped with a lot of foam.
Across Europe, the classic milk-based coffee beverage takes a number of forms depending on where you are. This includes the caffè latte in Italy, Milchkaffee in Germany, café con leche in Spain, and café au lait in France.
Un café crème
This is the closest thing you'll find to a latte, although the drink won't be quite as milky, and might have a stronger taste than you are used to.
GALÃO = cafe latte / latte macchiato / cafe con leche
The Galão is probably the most commonly served coffee style in Portugal, along side the Bica/expresso. A galão is served in a glass, and has a proportion of 1 part coffee to 3 parts hot milk.
4. Média (espresso with milk, latte) “Média”, or “media” with milk, is a coffee with milk made with espresso, milk and milk foam, also served in a medium-sized cup.