Cafe Au Lait Milk Coffee. How is it Different from a Latte?
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min
Milk coffee is a coffee-based drink that is easily accepted by various groups of people for its lighter and creamier taste. It turns out that there are various types of milk coffee, for example cafe au lait and latte.
Cafe au lait is taken from French, meaning ‘coffee with milk’, while latte, meaning ‘milk’ in Italian, is one of the most popular milk coffee drinks. Basically, caffé latte means coffee with milk. Often considered twins, latte and cafe au lait actually have differences. So, what are the differences between the two? Read the following explanation.
Milk to Coffee Ratio
Cafe au lait is a glass of espresso added with steamed milk in a 1:1 ratio. Cafe au lait has a little foam on top, sometimes even no foam at all. In the United States, cafe au lait is served as strong drip coffee added with warm steamed coffee. Meanwhile, latte is espresso with two different and thicker layers of steamed milk and foamed milk.
Brewing Technique
Cafe au lait is a milk coffee that uses manually brewed coffee, while a latte is made with strong espresso as its base. With these different brewing techniques, they both certainly produce different flavors. The best part about cafe au lait is that it always pairs well with any type of coffee.
Calorie Content
Cafe au lait milk coffee is a mixture of milk and coffee in a 1:1 ratio. This means that cafe au lait milk coffee has fewer calories than latte milk coffee. Usually lattes use more milk and this is directly proportional to the calories you will consume. Keep in mind that the calories in each serving of latte will differ depending on the type of milk used.
Taste Differences
Cafe au lait is considered stronger in taste compared to coffee milk latte. Even though latte uses strong espresso, it also contains quite a lot of milk, making the taste softer. A glass of cafe au lait contains twice as much coffee as a latte, with less milk content. This composition leads to cafe au lait having a stronger taste.
Use of Cups
Cafe au lait is usually served in a small cup or glass containing half coffee and half milk. Meanwhile, latte is served in a larger glass. Latte contains milk and coffee in a 2:1 ratio.
Color Differences
Even though comparing cafe au lait with latte seems difficult, we can see the different colors of these two drinks. Cafe au lait usually has a deeper color. The coffee and milk in a glass of cafe au lait are usually mixed together. It’s different from how latte is served. With latte, you can see how the coffee is layered over the milk.
In conclusion, cafe au lait and latte have their own unique taste and characteristics. These two milk coffee drinks are equally easy to make. However, cafe au lait is actually considered more universal because you can make it with various types of coffee you like. You can make cafe au lait by brewing NESCAFÉ Classic and adding your choice of liquid milk.
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