Wednesday, September 16 2026

Latte in English | Where did the coffee latte originate? What is the ratio of milk to espresso in a latte? How do iced latte and dirty coffee differ in preparation, flavor, and mouthfeel?

January 6, 2026
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For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat public account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)


Latte originates from the transliteration of the Italian word Latte. Latte coffee refers to coffee made by mixing a certain proportion of milk into espresso, and is a type of fancy coffee.


The original latte coffee originated in Vienna, the city of music. Viennese people began drinking coffee in the 17th century. At that time, the Turkish army failed in its attack on Vienna and left behind 500 bags of coffee beans in their hasty retreat. These coffee beans became the raw material for Vienna's first coffeehouse (the Blue Bottle). To cater to European tastes, the coffeehouse owner filtered the coffee grounds and added a large amount of milk, making the bittersweet black coffee smooth and sweet. The flavor captivated the Viennese, and milk coffee subsequently swept across the world.


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The ingredients for latte coffee are simple; it only requires espresso and milk, with no fixed ratio, and most often ranges from 1:5 to 1:8. Front Street uses a 1:6 ratio, with 40g of espresso liquid and 240g of milk added.


Espresso, also called Espresso, uses steam pressure to force hot water through coffee grounds to brew a small portion of pure black coffee liquid that is strong and aromatic, with golden crema floating on top. We may rarely see it on cafe menus, but Americano, latte, and cappuccino in daily life all involve it, and it can be said to be the soul of the coffee shop. When producing a hot latte, Front Street adds espresso liquid to a preheated coffee cup, then uses the steam from the espresso machine to froth the milk. The milk temperature is best controlled at 55-65°C, so that it forms dense milk foam with a moderate thickness, which is then evenly blended with the coffee liquid. The final latte art is the icing on the cake.


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Front Street's hot latte presents the sweet aroma of liqueur chocolate and is as smooth as cream. Front Street's iced latte first adds 75g of ice cubes + 25ml of fresh milk, then extracts 40g of coffee liquid and pours it over the surface. Before drinking, guests are reminded to stir thoroughly.


Speaking of iced latte, Front Street should also mention Dirty coffee, also called "dirty coffee," which has risen in popularity since 2019. Hot espresso is poured over frozen milk, forming a clear layer, and the espresso liquid sinks along the edge of the cup, giving people the impression of becoming "dirty." Generally speaking, the cup size of Dirty coffee is smaller than that of iced latte, and Dirty usually needs to be drunk immediately to taste the special mouthfeel of "alternating hot and cold."


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Below are the specific step-by-step illustrations compiled by Front Street for making iced latte and dirty. You can refer to them directly when making them at home.


How to make an iced latte:


Step 1: Take out a cup with a capacity of about 300ml.


Step 2: Add 80g of ice and pour in 170ml of milk.


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Step 3: Grind 20g of coffee powder and extract a 38ml shot of espresso. (Adjust the data according to your current equipment and the condition of the coffee beans that day~)


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Step 4: Pour the espresso into the cup with ice and milk.


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Step 5: Stir evenly and it is ready to drink!!


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How to make Dirty (dirty coffee):


Preparation before making: The cup to be used needs to be placed in the refrigerator to freeze, so that the cup itself is thoroughly chilled at low temperature; because Dirty emphasizes hot and cold layering, the following steps need to be carried out continuously to achieve the best effect!


Step 1: Prepare a cup that has been placed in the refrigerator to freeze in advance.


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Step 2: Pour in 180ml of iced milk.




Step 3: Grind a portion of coffee powder, fill it into the portafilter basket, and tamp it flat for later use.


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Step 4: When extracting the espresso, place the cup under the group head so that the espresso can float completely on the surface of the iced milk!


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Step 5: When the espresso extraction is complete, it is ready to drink! (Taking a slightly bigger sip allows you to better feel Dirty's layers!)


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

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