What is Cafe au Lait? How Do You Make it?

What is Cafe au Lait? How Do You Make it?

You understand all these: coffee, latte, mocha, espresso, but what is a Cafe au Lait? Isn't it just a different way to state latte?

What is Coffee au Lait?
Coffee au lait is coffee with milk. In that respect, Cafe au Lait is similar to a latte. It differs in that a latte is an Italian drink made with espresso, while a Cafe au Lait is a French beverage made with coffee.

In reality, many European countries have their version of coffee and milk. Germany has milchkaffee or milk coffee. And depending on the type of coffee, how it's ready, the milk, its quantity, and how it's prepared, we can identify even more detailed names like cappuccino, meia de leite, and more.

You may see Cafe au Lait served in colored, ribbed bowls in standard French dining establishments or coffee shops, contrasting to the rounded, smooth, white bowls you see lattes served in. When visiting New Orleans, your Cafe au Lait will likely have chicory and be made with scalded milk instead of steamed. The distinction between them is that scalded milk is heated in a pan before boiling, whereas steamed milk is heated with a cleaner wand.

Making a Cafe au Lait in your home
You can easily make your own Cafe au lait at home. It is up to you whether you select to be a "purist" and use a French press to make your coffee as you can just as readily brew it with your drip coffee machine. The coffee you utilize should be a dark roast with a strong flavor. Our Sumatra Black Satin and our After Dinner Blend are 2 of the best options.

Next, utilize a steam wand to steam your milk. If you do not have a steam wand, that's alright! In the United States, it is traditional to make a Cafe au Lait with scalded milk instead. Heat your milk in a bit of pan up until just before it boils. Or, use your microwave to warm your milk; that's fine. The best milk to utilize is whole milk with 2% a close second. If vegan or lactose intolerant, soy milk is your finest choice.

When combining the coffee and milk, you will want equal parts. You can add foam to your beverage if you like, but that is not the tradition. But it's your drink, and you make it however you want to.

When it comes to sweetening your Cafe au lait, you can improve to taste after including the milk in the coffee. Sugar is refined. However, vanilla sugar is better. You can purchase vanilla sugar, make your own, or merely include a drop or two of vanilla extract in your cup.

To make your vanilla sugar:
2 cups of granulated
Vanilla pods

Place the sugar and vanilla beans in an airtight container for two weeks.

Enjoy your Cafe au Lait!