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February 11th is National Latte Day, a coffee drink made with one or two shots of espresso and steamed milk. The word “latte” comes from the Italian caffè e latte, meaning coffee and milk.
The latte is one of the top-selling espresso drinks in U.S. coffee shops, along with cappuccino and plain espresso.
The original “coffee culture,” the Ottoman Empire, did not make latte—it wasn’t a dairy cattle culture.
The concept of mixing coffee with milk dates to 17th-century Europe, particularly in Italy, France, and Spain.
In Vienna, the Kapuziner (an early cappuccino) was popular in coffee houses in the 1700s.
In France, café au lait (coffee with hot milk) became a staple breakfast drink.
But the modern version of the latte emerged in 19th-century Italy—as a breakfast beverage made at home.
The milk created a smoother, milder coffee drink than espresso.
It didn’t become a café drink until the mid-20th century, with the rise of espresso machines*.
> The difference between cappuccino and late, below.
THE HISTORY OF LATTE
In the late 19th/early 20th century, Italians began to add milk to their morning coffee. While cappuccino had already gained popularity in cafés, caffè latte was not yet made outside the home. A stovetop Moka pot on the kitchen stove was used, with milk heated in a separate pot.
In the 20th century, the first commercial espresso machines appeared in the market (see the history of espresso machines in the footnote*). Beginning in the 1940s, the first steam wand appeared, enabling baristas to heat and froth milk.
By the 1950s, the modern caffè latte began to appear in Italian cafés, especially those catering to tourists who found cappuccino too strong.
In the 1980s the American-style latte, larger and milkier than the Italian version, became popular in Seattle, the origin of America’s coffee culture. Coffee culture expanded across the country.
Later in the 1980s, baristas in American coffee shops began making lattes with more milk and introducing latte art. See the history of latte art below.
Today in Italy the Italian caffè latte remains a home drink or breakfast drink, while cappuccino and macchiato are more commonly ordered in cafés.
The latte, on the other hand, has been adopted globally.
Flavored lattes—caramel, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and other flavors—have become widespread (photo #7).
Non-dairy alternatives made with almond, oat, and soy milk are now common.
THE HISTORY OF LATTE ART
Latte art—the intricate designs created by pouring steamed milk into espresso—originated as a result of advancements in espresso-making technology and milk frothing techniques (photo #6).
While it has roots in Italy, the technique was perfected and popularized in the U.S. and Japan in the late 20th century.
David Schomer, a barista from Seattle, is often credited with refining and popularizing latte art in the late 1980s. Schomer experimented with milk texture and pouring methods, developing the heart and rosette patterns.
Latte art was enabled by the development of microfoam, a velvety foam created by the steam wand of a cappuccino machine. The wand foams the milk in a stainless-steel pitcher; the pitcher pours the foam onto the top of the coffee (photo #2).
The combination of the natural crema atop the cup of espresso and velvety microfoam allows patterns to be made. (Note that other types of milk steamers/foamers do not create microfoam.)
By 1989 the heart pattern was a signature at David Schomer’s Espresso Vivace and the rosette pattern followed, based on a photograph Schomer saw of latte art in an Italian café.
He shared his techniques by 1994, helping spread latte art across the U.S. as coffeehouse culture expanded.
In the early 2000s, Japanese baristas took latte art to new levels, introducing etching techniques (the use of tools to draw detailed patterns.
3D latte art, where milk foam is sculpted into raised figures (photo #6), became a trend in Tokyo cafés.
Social media boosted the popularity of latte art worldwide.
CAPPUCCINO & LATTE: THE DIFFERENCE
Both drinks originated in Italian cafés, but are slightly different, based on the amount of milk.
Cappuccino is an espresso-based drink made with 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 foamed milk. In sum: 1/3 espresso, 2/3 milk.
Food trivia: Cappuccino is named after the color of the hooded robes worn by monks and nuns of the Capuchin order. Cappuccino, referring to the red-brown color of the robes, was a common descriptor in 17th-century Europe. The foamy drink, however, was created in the 20th century.
Latte has even more milk: A basic latte is 2 ounces espresso and 6 ounces steamed milk. For latte art, foamed milk is needed on top, which moves the proportions to 1/6 espresso, 4/6 steamed milk, 1/6 foamed milk.
> The history of coffee.
> The history of espresso.
> The history of pumpkin spice latte.
> The different types of coffee: a photo glossary.
> The different types of espresso: a photo glossary.
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*The history of the espresso machine: The first espresso machine was presented at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1855, developed to solve the slow speed and loss of flavor that occurred with other methods of coffee preparation. Luigi Bezzera, an Italian engineer, filed a patent for the first espresso machine in 1901. His machine used steam pressure to force hot water through coffee grounds, significantly reducing brewing time. In 1905, Desiderio Pavoni purchased Bezzera’s patent and founded La Pavoni, which started producing espresso machines in Milan.
In 1945, Achille Gaggia introduced the first lever-operated espresso machine, which used a spring piston to increase pressure to 8–10 bars. This created crema, the golden foam that became a defining feature of espresso. Gaggia’s machines were smaller and faster, making espresso more easy to serve in coffee shops. His machines also introduced the first integrated steam wand, allowing baristas to froth milk directly on the espresso machine for cappuccinos.
In 1961 Ernesto Valente improving espresso quality by introducing the first electric pump machine, Faema E61, which maintained consistent water pressure at 9 bars. It made pulling a shot easier and more consistent.
In the 1970s, home espresso machines became available. In the 1990s, super-automatic machines were introduced that could grind and tamp the beans and brew espresso at the press of a button.
Today, high-end machines machines with PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) advanced temperature control, pressure profiling, and smart technology allow baristas and home users to fine-tune espresso extraction.
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[1] Lattes offer baristas the opportunity to create art, by pouring more espresso on top of the foam (photos #1 and #2 © Chevanon | Pexels).
[2] Velvety foam from a steam wand enables the creation of latte art.
[3] Not every barista is an artist, but a plain latte is equally delicious (photo © Martin Dearriba| Pixabay).
[4] The leaf motif (photo © Proof Bakeshop [permanently closed]).
[5] Another favorite: the yeart (photo © Ogawa Coffee).
[6] Pikachu rendered in 3D foam (photo by Ajay Suresh | CC By 2.0).
[7] The broad variety of flavored simple syrups enable the creation of lattes from lavender to salted caramel (photo © Sonoma Syrup).
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