Here’s a quick tidbit I always have in the back of my mind:
If it’s an Italian name, it’s espresso-based and if it’s a French name, it’s coffee-based.
Italian coffee, for example:
Americano - Espresso and water
Latte - Espresso and regular milk
Cappuccino - Espresso and steamed milk
Breve - Espresso and steamed half-and-half
French coffee, for example:
Café - Plain coffee, sometimes called Café Noir
Café au Lait - Coffee and regular milk
Café Cremé - Coffee and cream (or sometimes half-and-half)
Café Americano - Coffee and water, it’s the French version of the Italian style.
What’s the difference between coffee and espresso? Coffee is brewed and steeped. Espresso is created by forcing water through very, very densely-packed coffee grounds using high pressure. Coffee is typically enjoyed in cups and espresso is typically consumed in “shots” because of the strong flavor.
I used to work in coffee in Seattle and around there a latte is also steamed milk. The difference between a latte and a cappuccino is the amount of foam to milk ratio.
Latte is mostly milk with a topping of foam.
Cappuccino is half foam half milk (and some people like even more foam in their cappuccinos).
Interesting, thanks for the info! What is moka coffee? Mocha here means a latte with chocolate basically. Sometimes with whipped cream instead of foam.
What you call mocha should actually be called Mocaccino, although it’s more similar to what we call Marocchino in Italy. They’re both derived from the “Bicerin”, a drink typical of Turin.
Marocchino is like a Cappuccino with powdered cocoa (mix the espresso and cocoa before pouring the milk).
Mocaccino is instead made up of three layers, a layer of melted chocolate, then a layer of espresso, then a layer of frothy milk.
Afaik they’re not massively popular in Italy, but here in the north I see Marocchino more often than Mocaccino.
PS: if you want to pronounce them correctly, “chi” and “che” are pronounced “ki” and “ke”, while “ci” and “ce” are pronounced “chi” and “che”.
It’s worth noting that most places without a “signature” style just use espresso as the base nowadays.
Because espresso is a much easier way to start (as it’s a small amount of coffee syrup, without the water).
And outside of speciality (pour-over/cold-brew), it’s the preferred extraction method.
Here’s a quick tidbit I always have in the back of my mind:
If it’s an Italian name, it’s espresso-based and if it’s a French name, it’s coffee-based.
Italian coffee, for example:
Americano - Espresso and water
Latte - Espresso and regular milk
Cappuccino - Espresso and steamed milk
Breve - Espresso and steamed half-and-half
French coffee, for example:
Café - Plain coffee, sometimes called Café Noir
Café au Lait - Coffee and regular milk
Café Cremé - Coffee and cream (or sometimes half-and-half)
Café Americano - Coffee and water, it’s the French version of the Italian style.
What’s the difference between coffee and espresso? Coffee is brewed and steeped. Espresso is created by forcing water through very, very densely-packed coffee grounds using high pressure. Coffee is typically enjoyed in cups and espresso is typically consumed in “shots” because of the strong flavor.
Is an Italian latte really with cold milk?
I used to work in coffee in Seattle and around there a latte is also steamed milk. The difference between a latte and a cappuccino is the amount of foam to milk ratio.
Latte is mostly milk with a topping of foam. Cappuccino is half foam half milk (and some people like even more foam in their cappuccinos).
Those terms are an American invention. As for Italy
Certainly the origin of the American “latte” is the latte macchiato, because that’s exactly what you receive if you order “a latte” in the US.
Interesting, thanks for the info! What is moka coffee? Mocha here means a latte with chocolate basically. Sometimes with whipped cream instead of foam.
Coffee made with a Moka pot
What you call mocha should actually be called Mocaccino, although it’s more similar to what we call Marocchino in Italy. They’re both derived from the “Bicerin”, a drink typical of Turin.
Marocchino is like a Cappuccino with powdered cocoa (mix the espresso and cocoa before pouring the milk).
Mocaccino is instead made up of three layers, a layer of melted chocolate, then a layer of espresso, then a layer of frothy milk.
Afaik they’re not massively popular in Italy, but here in the north I see Marocchino more often than Mocaccino.
PS: if you want to pronounce them correctly, “chi” and “che” are pronounced “ki” and “ke”, while “ci” and “ce” are pronounced “chi” and “che”.
It sounds like an American mocha is most similar to the mocaccino, since we mostly use a thick chocolate sauce for the chocolate, not cocoa powder.
I was just trying to keep things simple, but you’re right
Oh got it. You got me very intrigued! 😄
It’s worth noting that most places without a “signature” style just use espresso as the base nowadays. Because espresso is a much easier way to start (as it’s a small amount of coffee syrup, without the water).
And outside of speciality (pour-over/cold-brew), it’s the preferred extraction method.
Half-and-half is for cowards. Either cut the cream entirely or get full cream.
It’s for those transitioning from full cream to none. At least I’ve never seen anyone going the other way.