How To Make Latte Macchiato at Home – With our latte macchiato recipe you can make a typical Italian coffee specialty. ” Latte macchiato” translated means “stained milk” – and so in Italy, a little espresso is usually added to a glass of warm milk.
Often the warm drink also consists of two separate components: a layer of milk and a layer of coffee made from heavily roasted beans, which is similar to milk coffee and cappuccino. The espresso is placed on top of the milk because it is less dense than the latter. However, for this to work, the espresso must be hotter than the milk.
What Is Latte Macchiato?
From Sicily to South Tyrol, the latte macchiato is known as a popular mixed milk drink. The tall glasses that are common, in which the milk is at the bottom, the espresso on top, and the milk foam at the top in clearly recognizable layers, do not correspond to the original Italian preparation.
Hardly any Italian is bothered when the components are no longer visible as stripes in the glass. Usually, 150 to 200 ml milk and 25 to 30 ml espresso are used for the preparation.
Latte Macchiato – For The Young And The Young At Heart
In Italy, the mixed milk drink was and is often served to children who have not yet had real coffee, but who should still get to know the country’s coffee culture at a young age. The comparatively small amount of coffee in latte macchiato reduces the amount of caffeine and makes the drink tasty for children.
In a short time, it spread from south to north and fundamentally changed its image in the process. The children’s coffee became a fashionable drink, first for a young, urban elite, then for those who felt attracted to this environment, and finally for everyone who appreciates latte macchiato as a symbol of a lifestyle that is as sophisticated as it is relaxed.
The triumphal march and the image change were supported by the delicious taste and the visual highlight of the three differently colored layers in the glass.
Latte Macchiato Preparation
The preparation requires some basic knowledge, some time, and care. But even beginners should be able to make a perfect latte macchiato after a short time. The layering of the components in the glass is possible because milk, coffee, and milk froth have different densities.
However, the temperature conditions must also be right for this. Milk contains fat and would actually float to the top of the coffee weren’t poured into the glass much hotter and thus more stretched out. The milk foam, in turn, contains air bubbles and will always form the topping of the latte macchiato.
Latte Macchiato Recipe
Equipment
- Espresso Machine
Ingredients
- 25-30 ml Espresso
- 150-200 ml Whole Milk
Instructions
- Heat the milk to around 140 degrees. (Whole milk with a fat content of 3.5 percent is ideal for a latte macchiato . This will help the latte foam better later.)
- Then pour the milk that is not too hot and not frothed into a glass, use the milk frother to make milk froth that is not too firm. Half of the resulting milk froth is placed on top of the milk and left to stand for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Then a cup of espresso is added - poured over the back of a spoon on the rim of the glass.
- The remaining milk froth is used as a "topping" on the latte. If you like, you can add cocoa powder, grated chocolate or some cinnamon on top.
Notes
If the latte macchiato is to be sweetened, you can add the sugar or a sugar alternative when pouring the milk. It then dissolves throughout the drink. Alternatively, sugar can be sprinkled on top of the milk froth. But it then takes some time before it sinks and dissolves, and above all, it transforms the milk froth into a sweet delicacy, less so than the espresso underneath.
This goes well with the long-handled spoon that is served with the latte macchiato. Italians prefer a straw, ostensibly to avoid mixing the different ingredients while drinking. However, since they don’t mind the mixture is poured, this particular preference may have come from the targeted audience, children.
Which Beans Are Best?
In general, latte macchiato contains a lot more milk. So the beans used only play a minor role? Not at all, at least not for connoisseurs and enthusiasts. High-quality and aroma-intensive espresso roasts give the latte macchiato its typical taste. You have to assert yourself against the soft, often slightly sweet milk.
Espresso blends with a noticeable Robusta content are particularly suitable. In any case, they should be roasted slowly and gently. In addition, the beans should only be ground immediately before brewing. It goes without saying that the degree of grinding, pressure, water temperature, and throughput time should be selected correctly when preparing the espresso. We, therefore, recommend espresso types that are as strong and aromatic as possible, such as Italian espressos.
Latte Macchiato – Anywhere, Anytime?
As mentioned, the latte macchiato originally came about as “coffee” for children. In Italy, milk is considered filling. For this reason, very few Italians, regardless of age, drink coffee with milk after lunch. Tourists who order a latte macchiato in Italy in the afternoon usually get a knowing, compassionate look. In other countries, on the other hand, such an order will not attract negative attention – no matter what time of day it is.
More Latte Macchiato Variants
The coffee favorite is ideal for all sorts of refinements. On the one hand, the white cream topping brings out decorations well. On the other hand, the “kids’ coffee” was born with a playful instinct.
Flavor and color can be changed by adding syrup. Whether vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coconut, or hazelnut, the variety is almost inexhaustible. The latte art known as cappuccino is more difficult than latte macchiato. In order to obtain stable layers in the glass, the milk froth must be rather coarse-pored. However, fine-pored milk froth is better suited for artistically pouring over the espresso for latte art.
As an alternative, small drawings with cocoa powder can be sprinkled on the milk froth of the latte. There are templates that make it easier to sprinkle more or less artistic motifs. Spirits and liqueurs are of course also available as an encore for the latte macchiato. Of course, such specialties are not suitable for children. They probably appreciate delicious biscuits with their drink. Shaped with appropriate cutters, they can be stuck on the edge of the glass
Conclusion
Latte macchiato is one of those coffee specialties that are now more popular in Germany than in their home country of Italy. While Italians see it primarily as a “kids’ coffee”, around the world it has become a widespread lifestyle and trend drink.
Aromatic espresso beans with a dark roast profile are suitable for the preparation. It can also be varied with syrup or spirits. Cocoa powder can also be used to sprinkle magical motifs on the cream topping!
