Entering a cafe for the first time after been exposed to simple terms such as: decaf, mild, and some South American or African blend-suddenly there’s a whole menu with different variations of the breakfast staple! Where does one start when looking at the drink menu, wishing they knew French-or is ‘Americano’ Italian? Imagine a coffee connoisseur casually asking for ‘The Usual’ and in turn receive their daily ‘Extra Hot Double Shot Soy Caffe Latte’. Personal customizing aside, what defines a latte? According to Merriam-Webster, a “Caffe-Latte” is “espresso mixed with hot or steamed milk”[1]. While it seems reasonable enough, the coffee connoisseur’s friend orders a cappuccino which appears to be made exactly the same way as the latte. Again, we refer to Merriam-Webster: “espresso coffee mixed with frothed hot milk or cream and often flavored with cinnamon’[2]. Further insight from this webpage [3] shows us that a caffe latte and a cappuccino are the closest matching in terms of their ingredients, and that the preparation and ratio of milk is the main difference between the two drinks. Now taking customizing into consideration, if we were to ask for an extra foamy latte, what are we technically ordering? The same question goes for a cappuccino with little foam.
Slightly switching bases, there are trademark names that big franchise coffeehouses have placed on their beloved products. One example is Starbucks Corporation’s Frappuccino Blended Beverage. This is essentially a frozen blended coffee or cream based drink flavored with one or more of their many syrups. Of course, many coffee retail chains offer their own variation of this kind of drink, but Starbucks has taken advantage of their popularity to put an official name to their most popular item. The Frappuccino has also ventured into bottled beverages [4] and ice creams [5] that are sold in supermarkets and convenience stores.
So the argument is what really defines a certain coffee drink. There is an exact science to making a proper drink, but in the end there are different coffee distributors that target their own consumers, and it’s also up to each individual to search for the coffees after their own hearts.
-Olivia
Merriam-Webster
[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caffe%20latte
[2] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cappuccino?show=0&t=1317103081
Gourmet Coffee Zone
[3] http://www.gourmet-coffee-zone.com/coffee-drinks.html
Frappuccino
[4] http://frappuccino.com/products/bottled-frappuccino
[5] http://frappuccino.com/products/ice-cream-frappuccino
