Coffee is an incredibly multicultural world. What was discovered in Africa became a popular beverage in the Middle East, which then became a different drink in Europe. And from there, it went on to conquer the world.
Today, we’re going to be focusing particularly on Latin American coffee culture. This includes Spain, which is part of Europe, as well as Central and South America and other Latin American cultures around the world.
The culture has already gifted us with many delicious coffee drinks. There is the cortado, a Spanish classic, and there is the cafecito, a great Cuban drink. The café con Leche is not really from a particular country; all Latin American countries drink it. There might be a few variations, but in general, most countries drink a similar café con Leche.
What is a Café Con Leche?
Although this coffee culture predates the espresso machine, café con Leche really came alive when espresso machines became commonplace. By the 70s, virtually all restaurants and delis had an espresso machine, and people were obsessed with espresso.
So, this coffee starts much like any other traditional coffee drink: with a double shot of espresso. But, when it comes to the milk, it goes rather unconventional. The milk is not steamed like you normally would. There is no foam involved. Instead, the milk is scalded. This adds a lot of flavor at the expense of texture.
In terms of quantities, the standard is a 1:1 ratio, making the popular drink about 120 ml in weight—1:1, meaning one part coffee to one part milk. But there are endless variations of this, of course. We’ll check them out in more detail after the recipe.
How to Make a Café Con Leche?
The idea behind a café con Leche is that it is itself a very easy drink to prepare. Or, at least, it might look like it—but even though it is very simple in theory, a good café con Leche is only so because the person who prepared it knows how to prepare the two ingredients to perfection: the espresso and the scalded milk.
To Prepare the Espresso
- Grind the beans. For one cup, grind around 15 grams of coffee.
- Pour the grounds into the portafilter and swipe with your index finger.
- Tamp the grounds using a tamper. You should be left with a firm, compact coffee puck.
- Attach to the group head and start the shot.
- At about 25 seconds, stop the shot.
That should leave you with a pretty good-tasting cup of espresso. Now, it’s time to make the milk.
To Prepare Scalded Milk
- Take a barista’s thermometer and stick it in a milk pitcher.
- Pour about 200 ml of milk into the pitcher.
- Introduce the steam wand just below the surface and turn on.
- Watch for foam. You don’t want a lot of foam.
- Once the thermometer reaches 90°C, turn off the steam.
Alternatively, you can prepare the scalded milk in a pan:
- Place your pan on the stove and turn the heat to the highest setting.
- Wait three to five minutes for it to get really hot.
- Lower heat to medium and pour milk.
- Once you see a skin forming at the top, it’s done!
Other Types of Café Con Leche
Diversity in the Latin American community is also represented in its coffee. There are no two people who drink their café con Leche the same way, which is why there exist many variations of the drink.
Clarito: meaning “light” (in color), a clarito is a café con Leche that has been made by adding more milk than usual. It’s called clarito because the overall color of the drink is much lighter. There exist muy clarito (very light) and tetero (baby bottle), which represent lighter colors and, therefore, more amount of milk in the drink.
Oscurito or marroncito: meaning “darker” and “brown,” it refers to one type with more coffee than milk in it. In these instances, instead of using less milk, more coffee is poured. This achieves a darker color in the beverage, hence the name. There also exist names such as negro (black), which is, in fact, just a very dark brown café con Leche.
Yo lo preparo: means “I’ll put it together”, which is possibly the most interesting way to order a coffee. When you order this, you get a coffee cup with just coffee in it and a pitcher of scalded milk. From there, you can make it however you like by pouring more or less milk.
FAQ
Is Café Con Leche a Cuban Beverage?
Yes and no. Café con Leche is a part of the coffee culture in all Spanish-speaking countries, and it is presumed that it was first prepared in Spain. However, Cuban people are the ones who brought this culture over to the US or, at least, the ones who made it popular. So, this coffee we know in the US is, in fact, a Cuban drink.
Can I Make Café Con Leche at Home?
Yes! Even if you don’t have an espresso machine, you can make your own café con Leche at home. Keep in mind most people in Latin America don’t own espresso machines, and yet they drink their café con Leche every day without fail. We’ve already provided you with a guide on scalding milk at home, and as long as you have a Moka pot, you can make a pretty good homemade espresso.
Does Café Con Leche Have Sugar in It?
It depends on the person drinking it. In restaurants and coffee shops, it is never served with sugar but with at least two packets of sugar, very similar to how many other places serve their coffee. And, like with any other coffee drink, you can have it however you like best: with or without sugar, it’s up to you.