Latte is the espresso drink with the highest proportion of milk. Many people fall in love with it because of the delicate latte art on the surface and the rich, smooth taste at first sip. But do you really know what a latte is? In Italian, it originally just means "milk," so ordering one could lead to a small misunderstanding. With the spread of espresso machines and steam wands, the modern latte gradually took shape. In the 1980s, Seattle baristas were the first to "color" the surface with milk foam—this was the prototype of latte art. This article will sort out the definition and history of the latte, give Front Street Coffee's recommended ratio of espresso to milk, and focus on how different coffee beans influence the flavor direction of iced lattes. It will also recommend several Front Street Coffee blends and single-origin beans to help you make a latte that suits your taste.

When you think of a latte, is the first thing that comes to mind the ever-changing latte art pattern on the rim of the cup? With soothing or cheerful music playing, watching the milk foam spread into patterns on the coffee surface seems to carry your mood away. Once you take a sip, the rich, smooth texture lets you savor it slowly, one mouthful after another, and a pleasant moment passes just like that.

Among all espresso drinks, a latte uses the most milk. Most people who prefer lattes generally cannot accept strong bitterness; otherwise, they would be more likely to order a mocha or cappuccino. However, as a latte lover, it is still necessary to understand exactly what a latte is and its basic method, so you can make a latte of your own at home.

Latte

"Latte" is the transliteration of the Italian word "Latte," which originally means milk. So if you order a latte in an Italian café, what you get may very well be a glass of pure milk. In other words, in the Italian context, latte coffee refers to coffee with milk. Later, as espresso machines became widespread and steam wands became standard equipment on espresso machines, heating milk became easy, and the modern latte took shape. By the 1980s, baristas in Seattle, Washington, USA, began using fine, dense milk foam to "color" coffee—this was the earliest prototype of latte art.

Recommended Latte Ratio

Front Street Coffee recommends a ratio of espresso to milk of 1:6.5 when making a latte, that is, 40ml of espresso with 260ml of hot milk. Pour the milk in a circular motion and mix it thoroughly with the espresso to get a hot latte. During heating, the sweetness molecules of lactose in fresh milk are released more effectively. After stirring evenly with the espresso, the whole latte carries a natural milky sweetness, yet it does not overpower the espresso. Instead, against the backdrop of milk, the flavor of the espresso itself stands out even more.

The method for making an iced latte seems simple, and it can be found on almost every coffee bean brand's menu, but the taste produced by each brand is different. One key reason is the differences in ingredients such as the milk and coffee beans used.

The flavor of coffee beans can directly determine the taste direction of an iced latte. Most espresso blends will give an iced latte a rich nutty, chocolatey, and heavier coffee flavor. You can choose Front Street Coffee Specialty Blend or Front Street Coffee Dark Cocoa Blend, which, when paired with milk, reveal layered nutty aromas of almonds, almond kernels, and walnuts. If you want your iced latte to have a rich crema, you can choose Front Street Coffee Classic Blend or Front Street Coffee Commercial Blend. They contain a small amount of Robusta beans, and the body and caramel aroma are immediately maxed out.

There are also a few coffee beans that can bring out the sweetness and richness of the milk in an iced latte. Baristas recommend using Front Street Coffee Strawberry Candy Espresso. From the name, you can tell this is a coffee with extremely high sweetness. It is blended from three single-origin coffees from different regions. Besides its own rose aroma, when made into an Americano or latte, you can also taste flavors of grapes, dried blueberries, sweet oranges, and fruit candy, with a rather unique mouthfeel.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.