‘C’ in Coffee Part 1 of 3
CAFÉ au LAIT: A French breakfast drink made up about one third strong brewed coffee, as in coffee for a café filter or Napolitana pot or the stovetop moka brewer, and two-thirds scalded or steamed milk. Virtually identical to the Italian family version of a caffé latte.
CAFÉ FILTER: The metal flip-drip pot not more commonly called by its Italian name, Neapolitana, used in French households. The Italians like to claim credit for it, but in fact the French invented the device I the early nineteenth century.
CAFÉ AMERICANO: In Italy, usually a thin drink made with instant coffee. In America, an espresso lengthened with plain hot water after brewing (not by brewing for a long time), so that the body is the same as that of a filter brewed coffee, A good way to spread out the taste of espresso over a longer sipping time without adding cups of milk.
CAFFÉ LATTÉ: In Italy (where it is spelled caffe latte), this is a family drink made in the morning with coffee brewed in the napoletana or moka and milk scalded on the stove, in proportion of 1 part coffee to 3 parts milk. Italian espresso bars use genuine espresso and sometimes add more steamed milk, but not as much as is used in the United States. Also, Italians don’t add foamed milk, as Americans usually do. The drink served as a “latte” in American coffee bars is really giant sized cappuccino.
CAFFÉ MACCHIATO: An espresso “stained” with about two tablespoons of foamed milk.