Café au lait

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Café au lait
Cafe au lait.jpg
Type Beverage
Place of origin France
Main ingredientsCoffee with hot milk

Café au lait ( /ˌkæfˈl,kæˌf,kə-/ ; French: [kafeo] ; French for "coffee with milk") is coffee with hot milk added. It differs from white coffee, which is coffee with cold milk or other whiteners added.

Contents

Variations

Europe

Cafe au lait bowls in a style traditionally used in France Cafe au lait bowls.jpeg
Café au lait bowls in a style traditionally used in France

In Europe, café au lait stems from the same continental tradition as caffè latte in Italy, café con leche in Spain, kawa biała ("white coffee") in Poland, Milchkaffee ("milk coffee") in Germany, tejeskávé in Hungary, koffie verkeerd ("incorrect coffee") in the Netherlands and Flanders, cafè amb llet (“coffee with milk") in Catalan Countries and café com leite (“coffee with milk") in Portugal and Brazil. The Portuguese language has many more terms for slightly different forms and served either in a large cup or in a glass, such as meia de leite or galão. In Italy, numerous variations go from a simple caffè latte to latte macchiato to cappuccino. In both Italian and Portuguese languages, there is a lot of further elaborate terminology for clarifying the desired strength of the coffee, its roasting, the temperature at which the final product is to be served, ... In the French-speaking areas of Switzerland, a popular variation is the café renversé (“reverse coffee"), or commonly just renversé, which is made by using the milk as a base and adding espresso, in reversal of the normal method of making a café au lait. In Andalusia, Southern Spain, a similar variation is called manchado (“stained"). In northern Europe, café au lait is the name most often used in coffee shops.[ citation needed ]

At home, café au lait can be prepared from dark coffee and heated milk; in cafés, it has been prepared on espresso machines from espresso and steamed milk ever since these machines became available in the 1940s—thus it merely refers to a "coffee and milk" combination, depending on the location, not to a specific drink.

Café au lait and caffè latte are used as contrasting terms, to indicate whether the beverage is served in the "French" or the "Italian" way, the former being in a white porcelain cup or bowl, the latter in a kitchen glass and always made from an espresso machine, whereas café au lait might be espresso- or dark coffee-based.

United States

A cafe au lait and beignets served in Cafe du Monde, New Orleans Cafe au Lait and Beignets New Orleans.jpg
A café au lait and beignets served in Café du Monde, New Orleans

In many American coffeehouses, a café au lait is a drink of strong drip brewed or French pressed coffee, to which steamed milk is added; this contrasts with a caffè latte, which uses espresso as a base. American café au lait is generally served in a cup, as with brewed coffee, being served in a bowl only at shops which wish to emphasize French tradition.

At Starbucks, Cafe Au Lait is known as "Caffe Misto" which is served with 1:1 ratio of French Press brewed Coffee and frothed milk. [1]

Café au lait is a popular drink in New Orleans, available at coffee shops like Café du Monde and Morning Call Coffee Stand, where it is made with milk and coffee mixed with chicory. Unlike the European café style, a New Orleans-style café au lait is made with scalded milk (milk warmed over heat to just below boiling), rather than with steamed milk. [2] The use of roasted chicory root as an extender in coffee became common in Louisiana during the American Civil War, when Union naval blockades cut off the Port of New Orleans, forcing citizens to stretch out the coffee supply. In New Orleans, café au lait is traditionally drunk while eating beignets dusted with powdered sugar, which offsets the bitterness of the chicory. [3] The taste for coffee and chicory was developed by the French during their civil war. Coffee was scarce during those times, and they found that chicory added body and flavor to the brew. The Acadians from Maritime Canada brought this taste and many other French customs (heritage) to Louisiana. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink that is traditionally prepared with steamed milk including a layer of milk foam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Espresso</span> Type of strong coffee

Espresso is a concentrated form of coffee produced by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Originating in Italy, espresso has become one of the most popular coffee-brewing methods worldwide. It is characterized by its small serving size, typically 25–30 ml, and its distinctive layers: a dark body topped with a lighter-colored foam called crema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee in Italy</span>

Italians are well known for their special attention to the preparation, the selection of the blends, and the use of accessories when creating many types of coffees. Many of the types of coffee preparation known today also have their roots here. The main coffee port in Italy is Trieste where there is also a lot of coffee processing industry. Italian coffee consumption, often espresso, is highest in the city of Trieste, with an average of 1500 cups of coffee per person per year. That is about twice as much as is usually drunk in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latte</span> Beverage made with espresso coffee and milk

Caffè latte, often shortened to just latte in English, is a coffee drink of Italian origin made with espresso and steamed milk, traditionally served in a glass. Variants include the chocolate-flavored mocha or replacing the coffee with another beverage base such as masala chai, mate, matcha, turmeric or rooibos; alternatives to milk, such as soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk or oat milk, are also used.

<i>Caffè macchiato</i> Espresso coffee drink with a small amount of milk

Caffè macchiato, sometimes called espresso macchiato and often shortened to just macchiato in English, is an espresso coffee drink with a small amount of milk, usually foamed. In Italian, macchiato means 'stained' or 'spotted', so the literal translation of caffè macchiato is 'stained coffee' or 'marked coffee'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cortado</span> Espresso with equal amount of warm milk

A cortado is a Spanish beverage consisting of espresso mixed with a roughly equal amount of warm milk to reduce the acidity, although the exact ratios have considerable regional variation. The milk in a cortado is steamed, but not frothy and "texturized" as in many Italian coffee drinks. The cortado is commonly served all over Spain. The word cortado is the past participle of the Spanish verb cortar, in the sense of 'dilute', and can refer variously to either coffee or espresso drinks throughout Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caffè mocha</span> Chocolate-flavored coffee drink

A caffè mocha, also called mocaccino, is a chocolate-flavoured warm beverage that is a variant of a caffè latte, commonly served in a glass rather than a mug. Other commonly used spellings are mochaccino and also mochachino. The name is derived from the city of Mokha, Taiz Governorate, Yemen, which was one of the centres of early coffee trade. Like latte, the name is commonly shortened to just mocha.

<i>Latte macchiato</i> Hot espresso drink with milk

Latte macchiato is a coffee beverage. The name is Italian for 'stained milk', referring to the way the drink is prepared, by pouring a shot of espresso into steamed milk. It is a play on espresso macchiato, an older drink consisting of espresso marked with a dollop or two of milk or cream.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Café con leche</span> Spanish drink made with coffee and hot milk

Café con leche is a coffee beverage common throughout Spain and Latin America consisting of strong coffee mixed with scalded milk in approximately equal amounts. The amount of milk can be higher in a café con leche en vaso or a café con leche de desayuno. Cuban and Puerto Rican establishments often prepare the drink with sugar. Sugar or sweetener is added to taste. It is similar to the Italian caffè latte and the French café au lait.

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Coffee preparation is the process of turning coffee beans into liquid coffee. While the particular steps vary with the type of coffee and with the raw materials, the process includes four basic steps: raw coffee beans must be roasted, the roasted coffee beans must then be ground, and the ground coffee must then be mixed with hot or cold water for a specific time (brewed), the liquid coffee extraction must be separated from the used grounds, and finally, if desired, the extracted coffee is combined with other elements of the desired beverage, such as sweeteners, dairy products, dairy alternatives, or toppings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk coffee</span> Category of coffee-based drinks

Milk coffee is a category of coffee-based drinks made with milk. Johan Nieuhof, the Dutch ambassador to China, is credited as the first person to drink coffee with milk when he experimented with it around 1660.

<i>Caffè americano</i> Drink made with espresso coffee and hot water

Caffè americano, also known as americano or American, is a type of coffee drink prepared by diluting an espresso shot with hot water at a 1:3 to 1:4 ratio, resulting in a drink that retains the complex flavors of espresso, but in a lighter way. Its strength varies with the number of shots of espresso and the amount of water added. The name is also spelled with varying capitalization and use of diacritics: e.g., "café americano".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latte art</span> Type of decoration on coffee

Latte art is a method of preparing coffee created by pouring microfoam into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply "drawing" in the top layer of foam. Latte art is particularly difficult to create consistently, due to the demanding conditions required of both the espresso shot and milk. This, in turn, is limited by the experience of the barista and quality of the espresso machine. The term also applies to other beverages containing milk foam, such as cappuccino and hot chocolate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galão</span> Drink made with coffee and milk

Galão is a hot drink from Portugal made by adding foamed milk to espresso coffee. Similar to caffè latte or café au lait, it consists of about one quarter coffee and three quarters foamed milk. It is served in a tall glass, as opposed to the smaller garoto that is served in a demitasse. When the proportion is 1:1 it is called meia de leite and it comes in a cup.

Caffè crema refers to two different coffee drinks:

Countries have cultivated coffee beans into various vehicles to satisfy needs unique to each country. Whether it be for energy, socialization, or tradition, the cultivation of coffee has served as a motivating force of the world. The modernization of coffee and its unique forms across cultures are markers of tradition and modern changes across continents. Coffee culture appears in the way in which people consume coffee, the way they make it, and where coffee is served and shared. Each of these factors combined reflects the lives of the people in these countries and the importance of coffee across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk frother</span> Utensil

A milk frother is a utensil for making milk froth, typically to be added to coffee. It aerates the milk, creating a thick but light foam. Milk frothers were introduced through the use of espresso machines that contained steamed wands that would froth steamed milk. Although created in Italy, the espresso machine and steam wands were exported internationally to other countries, and frothed milk was introduced around the world.

References

  1. Johny, Morrisson. "WHAT IS CAFFE MISTO FAMOUS STARBUCKS DRINK". Coffeeabout.com.
  2. Cait au lait, Gumbo Pages
  3. Smith, K. Annabelle (14 March 2016). "The History of the Chicory Coffee Mix That New Orleans Made Its Own". Smithsonian.com. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. "Coffee". cafedumonde.com. Café du Monde. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019.