This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
Who doesn’t love coffee? Almost everyone loves coffee. A good day begins with a cup of coffee; a sip of coffee makes a dull day brighter. Whether you prefer taking a sip in the morning, afternoon, or evening, there’s always a coffee drink for every time and season.
With the mixing of real Italian Coffee heritage and refreshing American Coffee, you’ve got an espresso-based coffee for your taste buds. Even so, we have a wide variety of espresso-based coffees, and it’s quite challenging to navigate through them.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether you’re getting the real drink or a watered version of your favorite cup. This is especially true with the Macchiato drink. While you can easily tell a good sip of espresso or cappuccino, it’s difficult to recognize a coffee Macchiato on the spot.
Nevertheless, worry not. We are here to help you know what’s a macchiato.
Macchiato Word Origin
Before we dive deep into what macchiato is, let’s get down to history to find out its origin. The term macchiato was initially used by Italian baristas who needed to show waiters the difference between a plain espresso and an espresso with tiny bits of milk. To highlight the difference, the latter was named “marked” or “strained”, which translates to Macchiato in Italian. The term reflects the beverage’s creation process.
What is a Macchiato?
Of late, several people have been asking this question, trying to figure out the difference between a macchiato drink and other classic drinks of coffee. While you might have sipped coffee macchiato before, chances are you’re still wondering what macchiato is.
Simply put, a macchiato is a type of espresso drizzled with tiny bits of foamed milk on top, served in a demitasse cup. Looking at it closely, you’ll notice that it’s a take between a cappuccino and an espresso.
For most Italians, a day starts with a cappuccino, and for an added kick of flavor in the afternoon, they add small amounts of milk to their espresso to get a macchiato drink. For those who want something in between a strong espresso and a milky cappuccino, a macchiato is the best alternative.
So, with just a few tweaks to a mixture of espresso, milk, and foam, you get the flavorful coffee macchiato.
Types of Macchiato
If you stop at a reputable bar or restaurant for a cup of macchiato, you can either be served with latte macchiato or espresso macchiato, depending on your preference. Both types of macchiato are a mixture of espresso and small amounts of milk topped with other ingredients.
So, what’s the difference between the two types of coffee macchiato.
Latte Macchiato
The process of making a latte macchiato is a little more involving than making an espresso macchiato. First, steamed milk is poured into the glass followed by a shot of espresso. It’s the reverse process of making espresso macchiato.
Since espresso is added last, the drink gets a signature marking on the top which distinguishes it from its counterpart. The drink differs from espresso macchiato in that more emphasis is put on the milk rather than the espresso.
To get the best results, a barista pours a shot of espresso slowly over the steamed milk and into the center to create a distinct dot. This results in a clear gradient of thick milk at the bottom, followed by the espresso, and finally a layer of foam at the top. The drink is served in a clear to ensure the layering is visible.
Espresso Macchiato
Espresso macchiato is the original form of coffee macchiato. For this drink, it’s the milk that stains the espresso. That is, more emphasis is put on espresso rather than milk. The main aim of preparing this drink is to get an espresso with a slight tinge of milk.
As usual, the barista begins by pulling a shot of espresso. From there, one to two tablespoons of steamed milk with a little foam is poured on top of the espresso. The drink can either be served in a glass or ceramic demitasse cup.
When to Order an Espresso Macchiato
If cappuccino is too milky for you, or you want something with a rich flavor of espresso, order an espresso macchiato. It’s a perfect drink for those who find an espresso a bit too strong and would like to add a kick of flavor to it.
In most cases, espresso macchiato is served in the morning. Usually, this drink is served in a small cup, so, you’ll have to order double if you wish to take more.
When to Order a Latte Macchiato
If you’re not ready for a full blast of an espresso drink or your taste buds want the dairy more than the coffee, latte macchiato would be an ideal drink. The drink only has a hint of espresso that’s smoothed over with steamed milk.
To make the drink more flavorful, extra syrups are normally added to the drink. However, if you don’t want the taste to be manipulated, you may ask the barista to keep the syrup away.
What Is Macchiato
Final Verdict
While not all of us can make good baristas, we still need a sip of coffee to push through the day. And not just a mixture of sugar, and hot water, with some grains of coffee, but something tastier to excite our taste buds. Whether you like the strong espresso shots or the mild taste of it with some extra flavor, there’s always a latte macchiato or an espresso macchiato to soothe your palate. Just pass by a coffee shop and order your favorite drink. You can tag along a loved one to enjoy a coffee macchiato at whichever time of the day.
