What is latte and how to prepare it like a professional
Although at first glance a coffee with milk, is shown as an easy drink to prepare, after revealing its main ingredients, the true story is that it is a preparation with a certain level of difficulty and with a lot of technique. And this is the differentiating factor from other milk drinks such as macchiato or latte.
In case you didn't know, café con leche is the favorite of Spaniards and other Spanish-speaking communities, all over the world. How could it not be, if it is a delicious and perfect preparation to start the day.
If you want to know more about this wonderful recipe, then we invite you to continue reading, since we will offer interesting details and how to prepare it at home like an expert.
How is coffee with milk born?
There are many versions, however, the most accurate dates back to 1689 when the troops of the Turkish grand vizier Kara Mustapha, were expelled from Vienna by Christian armies. During this unexpected retreat, Muslim soldiers left bags of coffee at the site.
In view of this oversight, the Polanco Kolschitsky, who fought alongside King John III Sobieski, an important ally of the Austrian community, considered this shipment of coffee very valuable, so he decided to ask the monarch to give it to him.
Once he obtained the king's approval, his entrepreneurial instinct motivated him to open a small inn in the Austrian capital, where he began offering coffee as an infusion. However, customers complained about the bitter taste of the drink.
Faced with this complicated situation, Kolschitsky began to think about how to improve the bitterness of coffee. After much thought, he considered adding a little heavy cream to add a sweet touch to the drink.
Land in France
The mixture of coffee with milk seems to have excited the queen of France, the daughter of the archdukes of Asturias, Marie Antoinette. This young monarch, who was not forgiven by the revolutionaries, had a tragic end after going through the guillotine.
Throughout the French Revolution, coffee with milk became one of the favorite drinks. In fact, it was the perfect companion for French lunches. By the 19th century, the humble classes were already preparing this drink, making it part of their snacks and dinners. In turn, it ended up becoming a custom that kept factory owners happy, because they considered it an energizer with which their workers could have breakfast, replacing beer or wine.
Coffee with milk was consolidated in the 20th century, as we could already find it in various cafes, where they prepared it with espresso machines. Another piece of information we give you is that the drink is one of the most sought after in Spain.
What really is latte?
This preparation is known for being an espresso, to which milk heated with steam from the coffee maker is added. Now, if we go to a cafe, bar or restaurant, they usually serve it specifically in a 250 ml cup. With predetermined amounts of coffee and milk.
If we go to any cafeteria in Spain and order a café con leche, they will give us a cup 50% coffee and 50% milk. The proportions may vary depending on the area where you order it.
Other coffees containing milk
We can also get other preparations based on espresso and milk, and to avoid future confusion, we will reveal what they are:
-cut coffee: An espresso that is usually served in a small cup, and they cut the drink with a light cloud of milk.
-Light coffee: This is the opposite of the Cortado, since the milk is what will be predominant in this recipe while the coffee is light cloudy. They usually serve it in a large cup of coffee with milk. It is essential not to confuse it with other preparations such as the Italian macchiato, which is very similar to the Spanish Cortado coffee.
In other parts of the world such as Cuba and Puerto Rico, it is known as “cortadito” while in Venezuela, it is known as “brown”, something that differentiates it from espresso which is called “café negro” or “negrito”.
How do you prepare a good coffee with milk?
The recipe is not that complicated, because it consists of combining equal parts espresso and whole milk. The coffee is prepared normally, without any special technique, but the milk is scalded instead of being textured, heated or added completely cold.
You're probably wondering how to scald milk? The trick is to heat it on a steam wand, until just before it reaches the boiling point. Previously, this technique was very popular to eliminate bacteria and make milk 100% safe for consumption. Although milk is currently pasteurized, scalding is common in pastries and coffee shops.
Once we have scalded the milk, we proceed to add it to the espresso, thus creating a drink creamy, delicious and naturally sweet. An important point is that a thick layer of foam or microfoam will not appear. If you are lactose intolerant or lead a vegan lifestyle, you can use vegetable drinks or milks, but it is very likely that they will react differently to the blanching technique, affecting the texture and flavor of your preparation.
The professional barista Noa Specialty Coffee, in Barcelona, Jonathan Yanez, labels coffee with milk as a traditional drink, and can even be easily compared to what they make in Italy.
For the expert, making this drink consists of an espresso base, to which we generally add the same amount of milk, as we pointed out a few paragraphs above. Another characteristic is that it turns out to be hotter and less creamy than latte. As for the way to serve it, this will always vary, for example, in Spain people usually consume it in a glass instead of a cup.
Homemade coffee with milk
To recreate this delicious recipe at home, we don't need to have an espresso machine. The barista of Noa Specialty Coffee, states that we can use home methods including the traditional moka pot or the French press, and the results will be satisfactory.
The first thing we must take into account is to prepare a more concentrated coffee than normal. Once we have the espresso ready, we proceed to scald milk in a pot. If you have a kitchen thermometer, you should take the temperature and remove the milk when it reaches 82 °C, but if you don't have this utensil, don't worry, you just have to remove it before it reaches the boiling point.
When we have heated the milk, we will have to stir it and shake it to add air and, finally, achieve that creamy texture that we like so much. Subsequently, we pour it into the espresso in a 1:1 ratio.
But what coffee can we use? Barista Jonathan Yanez recommends using Brazilian beans. In Incapto Coffee we have coffee from Brazil Minas Gerais Fazendas, an excellent option for this exquisite preparation. You can also opt for coffees from Peru, Colombia and Ethiopia, which are found in our product catalog.
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