Latte Macchiato is an espresso-based drink. The name translates to “marked milk,” where the word “macchiato” refers to the mark left by the foam on the top of the beverage.
In Italy, this drink is called Caffè Macchiato, and it is served in a glass with a layer of froth on top. The original recipe includes steamed whole milk with a small amount of espresso and no foam.
The United States has adapted this drink to include more milk and less espresso for a richer flavor. To make the froth on top, steamed milk is usually used instead of frothed milk. Hence it is lighter-colored than its European counterpart.
Regular Macchiato vs Latte Macchiato
A macchiato is similar to a cappuccino, but it has less foam. The drink is made with espresso, and you can choose to add milk or not. Adding milk to a hot drink creates a beautiful design on top of your drink. You’ll also notice that there are no bubbles in your macchiato — this is because it doesn’t have any foam in it!
The difference between a regular macchiato and a latte macchiato is that the latter has more milk than the former. To make a regular macchiato, you add a dash of steamed milk to espresso. On the other hand, a latte macchiato has more steamed milk than espresso.
Preparing Latte Macchiato
You can prepare the foam for a latte macchiato by pouring steamed milk into a glass, then adding espresso, and stirring. Frothing creates significant amounts of foam, and latte artists use it to do latte art.
Alternatively, one can prepare it as a layered drink with layers of espresso, milk, and foam. In this case, glass is essential for the layers to be visible.
Generally, you brew espresso directly into a cup or shot glass. One can also pour it into a specialized pitcher, specially designed for the drink.
Conclusion
A latte macchiato is an espresso-forward latte with the same coffee-to-milk ratio as a classic latte. It differs from a regular latte as it has foam on top rather than steamed milk. Additionally, the espresso comes first before the milk.
The barista pours espresso on top of steamed milk, making a distinctive pattern in the foam. Moreover, the milk itself is whole-milk crema rather than reduced fat or skim.
