Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on July 12, 2011 at 8:33pm

The obvious thing to do is for all of us to stop making these beverages altogether until the entire coffee industry can come to a conclusion on how we all should be making them, especially Giorgio Milos. :)

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Matthew on July 13, 2011 at 11:26am

27% by volume of course.  The proper cup is underrated.

 

"Double Shorty" What a good rapper name & "Latte Bambino" sounds like a drink you don't want to mess with or you could be sleeping with the fishes.  

Greg Hill said:

lol, is that about 27% by weight or by volume? or 27% darker than a capp?

 

...but my macs are double shortys with an equal part latte milk. 3oz total. i dub thee... "latte bambino"

lance battenfield said:

matthew, i gonna have to agree that (to me) a macchiato is 2 shots with a little foam on top, but the foam should never be scooped with a spoon it should be poured out of a pitcher leaving you with about 27% less milk than a cappucino.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Tomeo on July 18, 2011 at 3:40pm

I have always heard it was a dollop of foam on a shot, but this interesting bit of hearsay might change my perception of what a macchiato is... that is to say, the lack of a standard lexicon in the coffee industry is confusing sometimes, but can lead to some great experiences. 

By the way, I love posts like this where everyone kind of gives their own take on the way a certain drink "ought" to be prepared.  It helps when someone comes into your shop and they want a macchiatto free poured instead of the way you usually prepare it.  Then you are less apt to say... "That's not a macchiatto!" and throw them out of your store... and more apt to say, "Oh, ok.  Some shops prepare their macchiattos differently than us.  Tell me again what it is you are looking for and I will do my best."  It is easier to give good customer service when you are knowledgable about what is going on outside of your own little world... 

Bryan Wray said:

I also heard it explained that the "marking" came about because the Italian espresso blends of old (and perhaps now, who knows) were of such high robusta content that any milk applied (granted it was not steamed per order) would sink below the crema, making it difficult to distinguish between a double espresso and a macchiato if the bar was particularly busy or if multiple drinks were ordered by the same person.  In the end they started "marking" the macchiatos with a little milk foam on the top so you could tell which is which.

 

This would actually make what we serve today in the USA (well, what a lot of us do... the 3 oz free pour beverage of new) much closer to the "traditional" than what we think.  It's not that milk wasn't poured into the beverage in the past in Italy, it's that the foam was applied afterward because the milk sank and the crema floated.

 

I don't know if this is true, and now, can't even remember where I heard it, but interesting none-the-less.

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Pietro on July 24, 2011 at 12:59pm

nice fantastic explanation, except that "macchiato" means "stained" and has nothing to do with "marking".. The milk stain will show on top of macchiato (like the coffee stain will show on top of latte macchiato)

Ciao, Pietro
Jason Haeger said:

That is interesting.  I do think that the experience between the two different concepts is different enough to warrant two names for both drinks.  

 

I typically prefer the dollop of foam.  It's like a dessert a the end of your espresso rather than diluting the espresso with dairy.

Bryan Wray said:

I also heard it explained that the "marking" came about because the Italian espresso blends of old (and perhaps now, who knows) were of such high robusta content that any milk applied (granted it was not steamed per order) would sink below the crema, making it difficult to distinguish between a double espresso and a macchiato if the bar was particularly busy or if multiple drinks were ordered by the same person.  In the end they started "marking" the macchiatos with a little milk foam on the top so you could tell which is which.

 

This would actually make what we serve today in the USA (well, what a lot of us do... the 3 oz free pour beverage of new) much closer to the "traditional" than what we think.  It's not that milk wasn't poured into the beverage in the past in Italy, it's that the foam was applied afterward because the milk sank and the crema floated.

 

I don't know if this is true, and now, can't even remember where I heard it, but interesting none-the-less.

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Demers on July 24, 2011 at 1:11pm

Funny how latte macchiato = milk stain if translated literally, yet it's actually stained with coffee.  Just my mathematically-minded brain reasoning things out :)

Pietro said:

nice fantastic explanation, except that "macchiato" means "stained" and has nothing to do with "marking".. The milk stain will show on top of macchiato (like the coffee stain will show on top of latte macchiato)

Ciao, Pietro
Jason Haeger said:

That is interesting.  I do think that the experience between the two different concepts is different enough to warrant two names for both drinks.  

 

I typically prefer the dollop of foam.  It's like a dessert a the end of your espresso rather than diluting the espresso with dairy.

Bryan Wray said:

I also heard it explained that the "marking" came about because the Italian espresso blends of old (and perhaps now, who knows) were of such high robusta content that any milk applied (granted it was not steamed per order) would sink below the crema, making it difficult to distinguish between a double espresso and a macchiato if the bar was particularly busy or if multiple drinks were ordered by the same person.  In the end they started "marking" the macchiatos with a little milk foam on the top so you could tell which is which.

 

This would actually make what we serve today in the USA (well, what a lot of us do... the 3 oz free pour beverage of new) much closer to the "traditional" than what we think.  It's not that milk wasn't poured into the beverage in the past in Italy, it's that the foam was applied afterward because the milk sank and the crema floated.

 

I don't know if this is true, and now, can't even remember where I heard it, but interesting none-the-less.

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on July 24, 2011 at 1:15pm

I will have to remember that it means stained and not marked.  God only knows you would never be able to read between the lines on those two translations.  I'll have to remember to stain the espresso from now on with foam and not mark it with foam.  Thankfully we have Italians around to keep it all straight for us.

::eyeroll::

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Greg Hill on July 24, 2011 at 6:30pm

@daniel it should translate to "milk, stained." 

my italian friends always said it more likely should translate to "spotted," which imo is more appealing for something i would put in my mouth.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on July 24, 2011 at 7:41pm

Incorrect.  

 

"macchiato" is a past-tense verb.  Descriptors follow the described in Romance languages, of which Italian is certainly one.  

 

"Latte Macchiato" translates, literally, to "stained milk".  

Daniel Demers said:

Funny how latte macchiato = milk stain if translated literally, yet it's actually stained with coffee.  Just my mathematically-minded brain reasoning things out :)

Pietro said:

nice fantastic explanation, except that "macchiato" means "stained" and has nothing to do with "marking".. The milk stain will show on top of macchiato (like the coffee stain will show on top of latte macchiato)

Ciao, Pietro
Jason Haeger said:

That is interesting.  I do think that the experience between the two different concepts is different enough to warrant two names for both drinks.  

 

I typically prefer the dollop of foam.  It's like a dessert a the end of your espresso rather than diluting the espresso with dairy.

Bryan Wray said:

I also heard it explained that the "marking" came about because the Italian espresso blends of old (and perhaps now, who knows) were of such high robusta content that any milk applied (granted it was not steamed per order) would sink below the crema, making it difficult to distinguish between a double espresso and a macchiato if the bar was particularly busy or if multiple drinks were ordered by the same person.  In the end they started "marking" the macchiatos with a little milk foam on the top so you could tell which is which.

 

This would actually make what we serve today in the USA (well, what a lot of us do... the 3 oz free pour beverage of new) much closer to the "traditional" than what we think.  It's not that milk wasn't poured into the beverage in the past in Italy, it's that the foam was applied afterward because the milk sank and the crema floated.

 

I don't know if this is true, and now, can't even remember where I heard it, but interesting none-the-less.

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by lance battenfield on July 28, 2011 at 10:23am

LOL!

WOW, i never really intended this to go this far...

I'm really sorry everyone!

Jason Haeger said:

Incorrect.  

 

"macchiato" is a past-tense verb.  Descriptors follow the described in Romance languages, of which Italian is certainly one.  

 

"Latte Macchiato" translates, literally, to "stained milk".  

Daniel Demers said:

Funny how latte macchiato = milk stain if translated literally, yet it's actually stained with coffee.  Just my mathematically-minded brain reasoning things out :)

Pietro said:

nice fantastic explanation, except that "macchiato" means "stained" and has nothing to do with "marking".. The milk stain will show on top of macchiato (like the coffee stain will show on top of latte macchiato)

Ciao, Pietro
Jason Haeger said:

That is interesting.  I do think that the experience between the two different concepts is different enough to warrant two names for both drinks.  

 

I typically prefer the dollop of foam.  It's like a dessert a the end of your espresso rather than diluting the espresso with dairy.

Bryan Wray said:

I also heard it explained that the "marking" came about because the Italian espresso blends of old (and perhaps now, who knows) were of such high robusta content that any milk applied (granted it was not steamed per order) would sink below the crema, making it difficult to distinguish between a double espresso and a macchiato if the bar was particularly busy or if multiple drinks were ordered by the same person.  In the end they started "marking" the macchiatos with a little milk foam on the top so you could tell which is which.

 

This would actually make what we serve today in the USA (well, what a lot of us do... the 3 oz free pour beverage of new) much closer to the "traditional" than what we think.  It's not that milk wasn't poured into the beverage in the past in Italy, it's that the foam was applied afterward because the milk sank and the crema floated.

 

I don't know if this is true, and now, can't even remember where I heard it, but interesting none-the-less.

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on July 28, 2011 at 10:44am

It happens.  drink definition discussions are cans of worms.  

lance battenfield said:

LOL!

WOW, i never really intended this to go this far...

I'm really sorry everyone!

Jason Haeger said:

Incorrect.  

 

"macchiato" is a past-tense verb.  Descriptors follow the described in Romance languages, of which Italian is certainly one.  

 

"Latte Macchiato" translates, literally, to "stained milk".  

Daniel Demers said:

Funny how latte macchiato = milk stain if translated literally, yet it's actually stained with coffee.  Just my mathematically-minded brain reasoning things out :)

Pietro said:

nice fantastic explanation, except that "macchiato" means "stained" and has nothing to do with "marking".. The milk stain will show on top of macchiato (like the coffee stain will show on top of latte macchiato)

Ciao, Pietro
Jason Haeger said:

That is interesting.  I do think that the experience between the two different concepts is different enough to warrant two names for both drinks.  

 

I typically prefer the dollop of foam.  It's like a dessert a the end of your espresso rather than diluting the espresso with dairy.

Bryan Wray said:

I also heard it explained that the "marking" came about because the Italian espresso blends of old (and perhaps now, who knows) were of such high robusta content that any milk applied (granted it was not steamed per order) would sink below the crema, making it difficult to distinguish between a double espresso and a macchiato if the bar was particularly busy or if multiple drinks were ordered by the same person.  In the end they started "marking" the macchiatos with a little milk foam on the top so you could tell which is which.

 

This would actually make what we serve today in the USA (well, what a lot of us do... the 3 oz free pour beverage of new) much closer to the "traditional" than what we think.  It's not that milk wasn't poured into the beverage in the past in Italy, it's that the foam was applied afterward because the milk sank and the crema floated.

 

I don't know if this is true, and now, can't even remember where I heard it, but interesting none-the-less.

 

-bry

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Daniel Demers on July 28, 2011 at 12:03pm

I stand (well, I'm actually sitting) corrected :P

Jason Haeger said:

Incorrect.  

 

"macchiato" is a past-tense verb.  Descriptors follow the described in Romance languages, of which Italian is certainly one.  

 

"Latte Macchiato" translates, literally, to "stained milk".  

Daniel Demers said:

Funny how latte macchiato = milk stain if translated literally, yet it's actually stained with coffee.  Just my mathematically-minded brain reasoning things out :)

Pietro said:

nice fantastic explanation, except that "macchiato" means "stained" and has nothing to do with "marking".. The milk stain will show on top of macchiato (like the coffee stain will show on top of latte macchiato)

Ciao, Pietro
Jason Haeger said:

That is interesting.  I do think that the experience between the two different concepts is different enough to warrant two names for both drinks.  

 

I typically prefer the dollop of foam.  It's like a dessert a the end of your espresso rather than diluting the espresso with dairy.

Bryan Wray said:

I also heard it explained that the "marking" came about because the Italian espresso blends of old (and perhaps now, who knows) were of such high robusta content that any milk applied (granted it was not steamed per order) would sink below the crema, making it difficult to distinguish between a double espresso and a macchiato if the bar was particularly busy or if multiple drinks were ordered by the same person.  In the end they started "marking" the macchiatos with a little milk foam on the top so you could tell which is which.

 

This would actually make what we serve today in the USA (well, what a lot of us do... the 3 oz free pour beverage of new) much closer to the "traditional" than what we think.  It's not that milk wasn't poured into the beverage in the past in Italy, it's that the foam was applied afterward because the milk sank and the crema floated.

 

I don't know if this is true, and now, can't even remember where I heard it, but interesting none-the-less.

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Amber Nordvik on August 10, 2011 at 9:24pm

Because no one ever skimped on punctuation back in the day. That's a result of the use of the interwebs and cell phones.

;)

Jason Haeger said:

Incorrect.  

 

"macchiato" is a past-tense verb.  Descriptors follow the described in Romance languages, of which Italian is certainly one.  

 

"Latte Macchiato" translates, literally, to "stained milk".  

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