[1] Cafe au lait (photo © Krups).

[2] In France, cafe au lait is also served in bowls. This is an older tradition, from days long ago, before potters knew how to add handles to vessels. These bowls are available from La Poterie du Chalet | Etsy (photo © La Poterie du Chalet.

[3] Caffe latte, the Italian version, is the same recipe but served in a kitchen glass (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[4] Look for a milk frother that also steams (photo © Miroco).

February 17th is National Café au Lait Day, a French term for coffee with steamed milk (photo #1).

Brewed French roast or Italian roast coffee is mixed in a 1:1 ratio with steamed milk (frankly, at home we often just heat the milk in the microwave—a “rustic” version).

Café au lait is different from a latte, which is made with espresso and steamed milk.

In cafés, the milk is steamed with the steaming arm of an espresso machine. For less than $50, you can buy a device that both steams and froths milk.

In France, café au lait is served in cups, but also in bowls (photo #2)

> The recipe for café au lait is below.

> Coffee terms and the different types of coffee drinks.

> Espresso terms and the different types of espresso drinks.

> The history of coffee.
 
 
CAFÉ AU LAIT VS. CAFFÈ LATTE

The drinks are the same, but the terms are used to indicate the way coffee is served.

 
 
STEAMED MILK VS. FROTHED MILK

Steamed milk is more widely used to make coffee and espresso drinks because the milk is easily steamed with the steam wand on an espresso machine.

The steam makes the milk very hot and slightly aerated. These very small air bubbles create a finer and more delicate foam called microfoam.

That’s the same foam that’s used to make latte art.

So what separates steamed milk from frothed milk?

Frothed milk is more highly aerated, giving it more volume and significant amounts of foam. Aeration—the addition of air bubbles—is what makes the froth (foam).

Frothed milk lends itself specifically to foam-filled beverages like cappuccino, where it adds a creamy, airy topping.
 

RECIPE: CAFÉ AU LAIT AT HOME

Simply pour half a cup of extra-strong coffee and finish filling the cup with steamed milk.

If you have a frother: Foam isn’t traditionally found atop a café au ait, but no one will report you if you use it.

Ingredients For 2 Cups

 
Preparation

1. HEAT the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until the milk is steaming and slightly foamy.

2. FILL two large coffee cups halfway with the coffee. Divide the milk between them and stir.
 
 
HOW TO STEAM MILK AT HOME

If you don’t have a steaming wand, you can froth the milk instead.

 
Quite frankly, often at home, we cheat by heating milk in the microwave.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COFFEE

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ESPRESSO DRINKS