I was first introduced to macchiatos by chain coffee shops. Incidentally, the macchiato in a chain coffee shop is nothing like a proper, true macchiato. Since you’re here, you must be wondering the same thing: what is a macchiato?
A macchiato (or caff macchiato if you want to be fancy) is a classic Italian beverage prepared from an espresso shot and marked with a spot of steamed milk.
So next time you walk into a coffee shop(a real one), you will be more informed and you can try this really awesome espresso-based coffee.
What is in a macchiato and how did they come about?
The word macchiato means “marked” or “stained”. When you look at a macchiato, it is unmistakeable. A skillfully made macchiato will have a distinct white mark or stain of milk in the middle of an otherwise dark brown espresso shot.
That’s all that’s in a macchiato: a shot of espresso and a spot of steamed milk.
Interestingly, macchiatos were invented as a way to have a cup of coffee later in the day. In Italian coffee culture, people normally only drink cappuccino in the morning and at no other time. So if you have a hankering for some caffeine in the afternoon, you’d have to try something else.
Waiters needed to have a way to quickly convey to servers that one particular coffee was a straight espresso shot and the other drink was marked with milk, and the preparation of macchiato made it quite easy to do. The macchiato is also said to be similar to a Portuguese version of the drink called a Cafe Pingado, which means coffee with a drop.
Note:
Make your macchiato using:
Don’t forget to grab a milk frother
How do you pronounce macchiato?
Since you’re going to order a macchiato in your favorite coffee shop, you don’t want to butcher the pronunciation and sound like a newbie, do you?
The “cch” in the name is pronounced as a hard “c”.
Say it with me:
maa – kee – aa – tow
How to tell if you have a good macchiato
A macchiato is a shot of espresso with a small amount of milk. The name itself suggests that the espresso should only be marked with milk, not overwhelmed by it!
So a good macchiato will look pretty much like an espresso shot except it will have a dot of steamed milk on top. Some of the milk will inevitably mix into the espresso and make it a little lighter, but the dot of milk should be very obviously visible on top.
Espresso macchiato vs latte macchiato
Another common point of confusion is the difference between an espresso macchiato and a latte macchiato. Both are macchiatos, so is there a real difference between the two?
What is an espresso macchiato
Since the word macchiato means marked, an espresso macchiato is the classic espresso beverage where a shot of espresso is marked with a spot of milk.
The small amount of milk foam tempers the intensity of the espresso shot, so you’ll be able to experience both the intensity of the espresso shot and the smoothness and richness of steamed milk.
It is very easy to make an espresso macchiato, even at home. Just brew a shot of espresso, steam a small amount of milk, and place a spoonfull of the foamy milk on top of the espresso shot. The air bubbles in the milk will keep it floating at the top of your drink.
The resulting beverage will be quite small, so there’s no real need to stir ir. Just down the shot and enjoy!
When should you get an espresso macchiato?
Espresso macchiato is a great coffee drink to order when you want to have something intense. The little spot of milk only dulls the espresso flavor slightly, so you get the rich mouthfeel and intensity of an espresso shot tempered by the velvety milk.
An espresso macchiato is only slightly bigger than an espresso shot, though, so if you were looking for a large fill of coffee, you may find that the espresso macchiato gets over way too quickly.
For a one off coffee injection, it’s perfect.
What is a latte macchiato?
The latte macchiato stems from the same concept of being marked by something. While an espresso macchiato was espresso marked with milk, a latte macchiato is the opposite: it’s steamed milk marked with a shot of espresso.
A latte macchiato is not the same as a regular latte, as the espresso to milk ratio is greatly different. There is typically a lot more milk in a latte macchiato than there is in a regular latte.
Latte macchiatos are typically served in large 12 ounce glasses. The glass will be filled half way or 2/3 of the way with hot milk that’s been steamed. The barista will then slowly pour a shot of espresso on the center of the milk.
The speed of the pour is critical, as it helps create a gradient, which is why latte macchiato is best served in a transparent glass.
A good latte macchiato will have a very distinct gradient of brown and foamy at the top to white at the bottom.
When should you get a latte macchiato?
Latte macchiato is a lot more milk than coffee, so it’s ideal if you want a very slight coffee kick but mostly wish to taste the richness of milk.
If you’re just starting out with coffee, the latte version of macchiato can be a great way to wet your feet with tasting the intensity of coffee without overwhelming your taste buds.
Many cafes serve latte macchiatos with syrups added for flavoring.
What about caramel macchiato?
Starbucks and other chain coffee shops have kind of distorted the meaning of macchiato. If you walk into a coffee chain and order a macchiato, you won’t be served a shot of espresso with a spot of milk: instead, you’ll end up with something that is a lot more similar to the latte macchiato.
Chain coffee shops have to appeal to the broader population, so they end up stuffing their coffee drinks with sweeteners and flavorings to make them more palatable.
This is one of the reasons there is so much confusion about the macchiato: we typically think of macchiato as the Starbucks version, which is a whole lot of steamed milk, caramel syrup, and one or two shots of espresso.
There’s no doubt that it tastes really good, it’s just not what we’d call a traditional macchiato!
What is a chocciato
The chocciato is an adaption from the macchiato – instead of?espresso being marked with milk, a chocciato is a?chocolate shot marked with milk.
These are fairly uncommon, but if you do run into one, you know to expect a chocolatey beverage rather than a coffee beverage!
How to make a macchiato
Making a macchiato is super easy! This easy to follow recipe will help you brew like a barista in no time.
