A latte (meaning “coffee milk”) is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. When used in English, the word is also sometimes incorrectly spelled latté or lattè – the diacritical mark being added as a hyperforeignism. Northern Europe and Scandinavia have traditionally used the term ‘Café au lait’ for espresso and milk, although in the US this term means brewed coffee and steamed milk.
The recipe for latte is 1 or two shots of espresso, 5 to 6 oz. steamed milk, and a thin layer of frothed milk. Latte is often confused with cappuccino, but the recipes are different. Cappuccino contains less milk, therefore the espresso is still the prevalent ingredient.