What is the origin of latte and how do the ratios work?

A latte carries the highest proportion of milk in the espresso family. Hot and iced versions follow the same recipe logic but differ in the steps. Espresso is pulled at set pressure, temperature, time, and brew ratio, then combined with steamed milk for a hot drink or with cold milk and ice for the iced version.

The origin of latte predates espresso. Europeans had blended coffee with milk since the 17th century, and William Dean Howells first wrote caffe latte in 1867. The word means milk in Italian. Once steam wands became standard, the modern drink took shape, and Seattle baristas began pouring latte art in the 1980s. Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso is one blend used for it.

Latte is the category with the highest proportion of milk in the espresso family. Iced and hot versions differ in operational details, but the underlying recipe logic is the same. From Front Street's perspective, this article traces the historical development of latte, explains the approach to selecting espresso blend beans, and provides specific preparation parameters for hot and iced lattes. The content covers espresso extraction pressure, temperature, time, and brew ratio, the milk steaming technique and temperature control for hot lattes, and the ice cube-to-milk ratio for iced lattes. It also introduces the flavor profiles of several espresso beans including Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso, helping coffee enthusiasts replicate a balanced, smooth latte at their own bar.

If anyone asks which espresso drink has the highest proportion of milk, Front Street's answer would be the latte. Latte can be served hot or cold, with differences in operational steps, but the recipe framework is shared. Below, Front Street will discuss whether latte is more appealing iced or hot, as well as its preparation ratios and methods.

The Origin of Latte

According to information Front Street has gathered, latte was born long before espresso. Since the 17th century, Europeans have been enthusiastic about blending coffee with milk, especially Italians, and the espresso system itself originated in Italy.

In 1867, William Dean Howells first wrote the term "caffè latte" in his essay "Italian Journeys." At that time, coffee was gaining global attention, but the espresso machine had not yet been invented, and brewing methods were still quite crude.

Latte is the transliteration of the Italian word "Latte," which literally means milk. So if you order a latte at an Italian café, what you get might just be a glass of milk. In the Italian context, caffè latte refers to coffee with milk. Later, as espresso machines became widespread and steam wands became standard equipment on espresso machines, heating milk became effortless, and the modern form of latte was established. By the 1980s, baristas in Seattle (Washington State) began "painting" on the surface of coffee with dense milk foam, which was the earliest form of latte art.

Since each coffee shop uses espresso blend beans with different flavor profiles and different espresso machine models, lattes will have slight variations in the milk-to-coffee ratio, bean selection, and extraction parameters. Overall, though, a latte is a drink made by mixing a large amount of milk with espresso. Different coffee beans lead to different flavor directions in the latte; different milk leads to different mouthfeel; and even changes in the coffee-to-milk ratio can bring completely different taste experiences.

What Coffee Beans to Use for Latte

So what kind of coffee beans should be used for latte? Front Street's experience is that beans for making latte must be suitable for espresso machines, so coffee with too light a roast level is not appropriate. The darker the roast, the more prominent the coffee flavor in the latte (caramel, bitterness); the lighter the roast, the more the milk flavor dominates. Therefore, the roast level should be a middle value, allowing coffee and milk to be compatible with each other.

Espresso machines have a notable characteristic of multiplying the inherent flavors of coffee beans. Light-roasted single-origin beans for pour-over already have bright acidity, and if extracted through an espresso machine, the sourness becomes even sharper, so they are not suitable for espresso.

If you want a latte with clear sweetness, Front Street would first recommend Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso. This is a blend bean developed specifically for espresso machines and moka pots, combining three major origins: Costa Rica, Colombia Huila, and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe. The honey process brings raisin-like sweet aroma, Yirgacheffe contributes elegant floral notes, and Colombia Huila adds chocolate and cocoa notes, giving Strawberry Candy Espresso a moderate crema while retaining rose, grape, and dried blueberry notes.

Considering that everyone's usage scenarios and preparation purposes differ, in addition to Front Street Classic Blend and Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso, Front Street has also launched a daily staple Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend recommended by many baristas, a shop-opening first choice Front Street Commercial Blend, and a nutty, rich-flavored Front Street Specialty Blend... four espresso beans in total. Next, Front Street Coffee will share the recipe ratios for making latte.

Latte Recipe Ratios

As mentioned above, Front Street Classic Espresso Blend is used here. For extracting espresso, Front Street uses a Bezzera E98 espresso machine, with the following extraction parameters:

Pressure: 9 bar Temperature: 90.5–96°C Time: 20–30 sec Brew ratio: 1:1.7–1:2 Dose: 12g (single shot) 20g (double shot) Extraction yield: 20ml (single) 40ml (double)

Front Street uses a double shot of espresso for making latte. The extracted flavor profile is: clear toasted bread and nut aromas, rich chocolate cookie notes on the palate, and a comfortable sweet aftertaste.

How to Make a Hot Latte?

Milk: Whole fresh milk (Front Street uses Vitasoy fresh milk) Steaming temperature: 50–60°C (if too low, lactose cannot be fully released; if too high, milk proteins are damaged and the texture becomes rough and grainy) Foam thickness: 1cm (foam thinner than 1cm is used for flat white; foam thicker than 1cm is used for cappuccino)

How to Steam Milk Foam for a Hot Latte?

Milk steaming tip — purge before turning on steam: Let the steam wand run for a moment to release condensation from the tip, preventing the foam from becoming too wet (use a clean cloth to shield, preventing splatter).

Insert the steam wand into cold milk: Let steam rush into the milk. (Wand depth: inserting too deep will only heat without forming foam; inserting too shallow will create large bubbles that affect latte art aesthetics — you can lightly tap the pitcher on the table to pop large bubbles.)

Steam wand positioning: The most reliable steam injection point is to insert the steam wand into the pitcher against the spout, with the nozzle pointing toward the center then offset by about 1cm.

Turn on steam: Begin steaming milk (when injecting steam, listen to the sound — it should sound like blowing air through a straw into a drink, not the sharp sound of bubbles hitting the metal pitcher. Turn off when temperature reaches about 50–60°C.)

Hot Latte Recipe Ratio Recommendation

Front Street recommends a coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:6.5 for latte, i.e., 40ml espresso with 260ml hot milk. Pour in a circular motion to fully integrate the milk and espresso, and you get a hot latte. After heating fresh milk, the sweet lactose molecules are better released. When stirred evenly with espresso, the entire latte carries the natural sweetness of milk without overpowering the espresso; instead, the milk enhances the espresso's flavors.

Front Street Coffee Hot Latte Taste & Characteristics: Whiskey-like aroma, lactose and coffee acidity colliding into a milkshake-like sweetness, with a hazelnut and nutty finish.

How to Make an Iced Latte?

Milk: Whole fresh milk Milk temperature: Refrigerated milk Ice: Mix with milk at a 1:3 ratio Milk and coffee amounts: Front Street recommends 300ml iced milk mixture : 40ml espresso

Add ice cubes and fresh milk for a total of 300ml, then extract a double shot of espresso and pour it into the iced milk. If you used less ice, remember to add more milk to compensate.

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