Latte vs Coffee: Difference and Comparison

Latte and coffee are the most common type of brewed beverages across the globe. The industry of latte and coffee has skyrocketed to billions of dollars.

Key Takeaways

1. Lattes combine espresso shots with steamed milk, resulting in a creamier texture.
2. Regular coffee has a stronger taste due to higher coffee-to-water ratios.
3. Lattes contain less caffeine than regular coffee, as they use less coffee in their preparation.

Latte vs Coffee

Latte is a milk coffee that originates from Italy and can be served hot or cold and comes in different flavours. It is the shortened term for a caffe latte. Coffee is a beverage that is made with roasted coffee beans and seeds and contains caffeine which can stimulate the human brain.

Latte word was first used in an English essay called ‘Italian Journeys’ in 1867. Latte is a creamier version of coffee. It is not as strong as regular coffee.

While coffee was a popular part of the Sufi shrines in the 15th century, coffee is less creamy than a latte. It is stronger than a latte and has proven to act as a stimulant.

Comparison Table

Parameters of comparison	Latte	Coffee
Origin	Italy	Africa and South Arabia
Word derivation	Derived from an Italian word ‘Caffe latte’ which means coffee and milk	Derived from the Dutch word ‘koffie’ which is a borrowed word from Turkish ‘kahve’ and Arabic ‘qahwa’
Preparation methods	By taking a standard shot of espresso and filling it with steamed milk and a layer of foam milk on top, which can be approximately 12 mm thick	By adding hot water to the ground and roasted beans and milk (optional)
Variants	Latte is available in various variants and flavors like vanilla, caramel, mocha, pumpkin spice, hazelnut, coconut, lavender, mate, and others	Espresso, instant, latte, brewed, filtered, decaf brewed, and plunger
Effect on health	Releases stress hormones like epinephrine, cortisol, glucocorticoids, norepinephrine which also accelerate aging	The caffeine acts as a stimulant, relaxes air passages of asthmatic patients, and also reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

What is Latte?

Latte is the short term for caffè latte. It is a milk coffee which can be served hot as well as cold. It originated in Italy. The word is derived from the Italian word ‘Caffe latte’, which means coffee and milk.

The various flavours of latte are chocolate-flavoured mocha, masala chai (Indian), matcha, mate, rooibos, or variation in milk like almond milk or soy milk.

Latte is prepared in a glass of a standard shot of espresso, which is filled with steamed milk and a layer of foam milk on top, which can be approximately 12 mm thick. Latte is often confused with a cappuccino, but cappuccino has a thicker milk foam.

There are various styles of serving lattes in different parts of the world. Like in Scandinavia, it is served in a bowl, while in Southeast

Latte

What is Coffee?

Coffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted coffee beans and seeds. It has caffeine content which has the potential to act as a stimulant to the human brain.

To turn the seeds into a consumable product, the seeds are separated from the coffee fruit. The raw green coffee seeds are then roasted and later ground into a powder form.

Back in the 16th century, coffee beans were smuggled to the Indian subcontinent from the Middle East and planted in Mysore. The Dutch East India Company was the first company to import coffee worldwide on a huge scale.

Coffee grows well between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and is known as the bean belt. It is planted at the beginning of the rainy season. It is also intercropped between beans, rice, and corn.

Main Differences Between Latte and Coffee

1. Coffee has originated in Africa and South Arabia, while latte has originated in Italy.
2. Coffee was first consumed in the 15th century in the Sufi shrines in Yemen, while the latte is a popular part of European cuisine since the 17th century.

References

1. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/BFJ-07-2020-0612/full/html
2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-459X.2011.00366.x