December 3 – Latte? Expresso,

Latte? Expresso,
hot milk. Use coffee, big cup,
its Cafe au Lait

I like Café au lait

Maybe it’s those great big cups you get to use.

At one time in my life I agreed to cut back to one cup of coffee in the morning.

But I made sure it was a really big cup.

If I am being really goofy, I will microwave a small pitcher of milk and then pour my milk and coffee into my cup at the same time, just like in the movies.

Most of the time I half fill a mug with milk and microwave it for 30 seconds then add my coffee.

In the Louise Penny books, them there Quebecois  are always having bowls of au lait.

Maybe I like it because it’s harder to say than Latte.

It is certainly harder to find.

Then I learned that Starbucks uses the Italian term for au Lait which is a Caffe Misto.

SO wait a minute.

Is there really a difference between Latte and au Lait?

Turns out there is.

I looked it up.

Café latte
The café latte originated in Italy, before being adopted in Europe, and then in the US.
This beverage is typically made using one or two shots of espresso, topped-up with steamed milk, and finished with a small layer of foam on top. A café latte has more milk than a cappuccino and less foam.
The trademark of a true latte is the artwork that the barista creates on top. Latte art is thought to have originated in Italy, which makes sense when you consider that the beverage has its roots there.

Café au lait
As the name, café au lait would suggest, the beverage was first created in France. In fact, “café au lait” literally means, “coffee with milk” in French.
A café au lait is created using brewed coffee and steamed milk. The drink is made up of one part coffee, and one part steamed milk.
Café au lait typically doesn’t have foam on top, although some coffee houses do flirt with tradition by adding some.
Café au lait is never to be confused with “white coffee,” which is simply brewed coffee made using cold milk or with powdered whitener added.

Cafe au Lait vs Latte: Milk Measuring Up

Latte? Expresso,
hot milk. Use coffee, big cup,
its Cafe au Lait