If you want something sweeter than a latte but not as rich as a mocha or flavored coffee drinks, Spanish coffee may be for you, but what is a Spanish latte?
The wonderful thing about coffee is that it can capture the flavors of a nation; while American drip coffee is popular outside, Turkish and Vietnamese coffee is quite potent. Naturally, Spain has given coffee its own unique spin.
A small coffee beverage called a Spanish latte is created with espresso, scalded milk, and sweetened condensed milk or sugar. Condensed milk is used to prepare this beverage, which makes it sweet but not as luxurious as a mocha or flavored latte. It is rapidly gaining popularity overseas. It still gives the strong coffee flavors a chance to stand out without being overbearing.
What Is A Spanish Latte?
Café with leche, or coffee with milk, is the Spanish name for the latte. It differs from other beverages due to the addition of sweetened condensed milk to scalded milk.
For comparison, espresso, steamed milk, and a thin coating of milk froth are used to make a standard latte. A typical latte has a 1:3 ratio of coffee to milk.
French meaning “coffee with milk,” “café au lait” is a concoction of drip coffee and steamed milk. In the US, scorched milk is frequently utilized. The drink is made in New Orleans with scalded milk, chicory, and coffee.
In a Spanish latte, powdered milk and espresso are combined in equal parts, and then two teaspoons of sweetened condensed milk or sugar are added.
Initially used to remove bacteria, scalding milk now has use in coffee since it enhances the flavor of the milk. Although it has a creamy texture, it doesn’t have the air bubbles that steamed milk has. This enables the thick texture of a Spanish latte.
A Spanish latte is more satiating than a typical latte in the morning due to the potent coffee flavors and luxurious texture.
History Of Spanish Lattes
Coffee is a big part of the culture in Spain. Spaniards socialize in cafés with small cups of coffee and watch the world go by.
If you order this latte in Spain, where the preference for strong coffee is, you’ll probably detect a smoky flavor. Sugar was once added to coffee to preserve it during roasting, but the sugar burned and turned the beans black.
For longer periods of time, the coffee tasted fresh thanks to the black coat’s ability to reduce oxidation. Torrefacto coffee is the result of this. Although this method of preservation is no longer necessary because airtight coffee storage containers are now widely used, it has persisted because Spaniards came to enjoy the flavor.
When making a Spanish latte, Torrefacto coffee is not required, although it is worthwhile to try. Ask your barista before ordering these beans because not every coffee establishment will use them.
A more complex-tasting beverage results from the contrast between the creamy condensed milk and the smoky coffee flavors.
Spanish lattes are frequently consumed as breakfast beverages. The scalded milk and sweetened condensed milk are rich enough to make it full despite its modest size. People hardly ever have numerous cups of it during the day since it is so delicious.
Although its precise ancestry is unknown, Vietnamese coffee is thought to have served as its inspiration. Traditional Vietnamese coffee is made with sweetened condensed milk and drip coffee. One of the biggest differences is that Vietnamese prefer Robusta coffee, partly because it is cultivated there, whereas Spaniards prefer Arabica.
Café Bombon may be a name you are also accustomed to. This beverage is not an identical replica of a Spanish latte, despite drawing inspiration from Vietnam and having Spanish origins. This beverage, also referred to as bon bon coffee, is an espresso shot topped with sweetened condensed milk.
Benefits Of Spanish Latte For Your Health
One of the many health advantages of coffee is better memory and brain performance, which makes you feel awake and prepared for the day. Consuming antioxidants, such as those found in coffee, can help prevent diseases like heart disease and some cancers as well as slow down the aging process.
Protein, calcium, vitamin D, and numerous other essential vitamins and minerals can all be found in milk. Scalded milk will, however, have fewer nutrients overall, especially the B vitamins. Some of the advantages of milk will still apply to condensed milk, but the extra calories are problematic.
For coffee drinkers who are health-conscious, the amount of sugar or sweetened condensed milk used when brewing a Spanish latte will determine how many calories it contains. The majority of people consume this beverage for enjoyment rather than in an effort to gain any potential advantages. After saying that, let’s examine the nutritional breakdown.
Sweetened condensed milk has 6.9 grams of sugar and 41 calories per two teaspoons. The same quantity of table sugar would increase your beverage’s sugar content by 8.4 grams and 33 calories.
The calories in milk are unaffected by scalding. Two ounces of milk will provide 31 calories and 3.1 grams of sugar to two espresso shots. In essence, espresso contains no calories of sugar
If sweetened condensed milk is used to make the Spanish latte, it will have about 72 calories and 10 grams of sugar, whereas a drink made with sugar will have 64 calories and 11.5 grams of sugar.
8 ounces of a small regular latte have 94.5 calories and 9.5 grams of sugar. A Spanish latte weighs only 4.33 ounces, despite the fact that this may appear like a lot in comparison to the numbers above. So, when comparing both beverages, a standard latte will have less sugar and calories per ounce.
Although it’s not recommended to eat more than 50 grams of added sugar per day, or 12 teaspoons, there’s nothing wrong with pampering yourself occasionally.
How To Make A Spanish Latte At Home
Materials Needed
- Espresso machine or alternative coffee brewer
- Pot or microwave-safe container
- Small glasses
- Thermometer
Ingredients:
- Two espresso shots
- Two ounces of scalded milk
- Two teaspoons of sugar or sweetened condensed milk
- Cocoa powder (optional)
Step 1: Prepare The Scalded Milk
While you can scald milk in a microwave or on the stove, the stove is the better choice because it makes it simpler to keep an eye on the temperature. Before using milk for coffee, it must be slightly chilled because milk cannot be heated to boiling point, or 212°F, when it is being scalded.
Because a Spanish latte uses such a small amount of milk, you must scald it longer than required to keep it from drying out. At the very least, a cup.
Pour the milk into a pot and set the stove to medium heat. Cook the milk until it reaches 180°F, stirring frequently to avoid skin from developing on the top, and then turn off the heat.
Pour the milk into a microwave-safe container and heat it for 20 seconds at a time to scald it. You’ll need to pause the microwave and keep an eye on the temperature.
Plant-based milk substitutes can be tried to be scalded, but the outcomes won’t be the same because they don’t have the same proteins and lipids as cow’s milk. The flavor might be ruined, or coagulation might result.
Step 2: Brew The Coffee
Coffee should be brewed as usual after the milk has been scorched. If you don’t have an espresso maker, you can get comparable results by using a Moka pot, an Aeropress, or a pod brewer.
Step 3: Mix the ingredients together
Spanish lattes are typically served in clear glasses so you can see the layers, however it’s not a must. Two espresso shots should be added to a cup after two ounces of scalded milk.
then sprinkle sugar or condensed milk on top. The usual sugar is white, but brown sugar has a more caramel-like flavor.
Step 4: Garnish & Enjoy
Feel free to garnish with a dash of cocoa powder, stir, and enjoy your drink.
What does the Spanish latte taste like?
The Spanish latte has a really creamy and sweet texture to it. The sweetness comes from the added sugar, so you can dial this down (or use more to your liking).
I made the Spanish latte for this recipe with frothed milk, as I like the texture better than just adding scalded milk. The flavors of the Spanish latte are almost the same as a regular latte, except for the higher doses of added milk.
A regular latte uses less milk for its recipe; the one-to-one ratio of the Spanish latte makes it a bit more accessible for most coffee drinkers out there.
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