Café au lait (French for "coffee with milk") is a French coffee drink.
In Europe, "café au lait" stems from the same continental tradition as "caffè latte" in Italy, "café con leche" in Spain, "kawa biała" ("white coffee") in Poland and "café com leite" in Portugal, simply "coffee with milk". In northern Europe, café au lait is the name most often used in coffee shops. At home, it can be prepared from dark coffee and heated milk; in cafés, it has been prepared on espresso machines from espresso and steamed milk ever since these machines became available in the 1940s.
In many American coffeehouses, a café au lait is simply made with strong drip brewed or French pressed coffee substituted for espresso, though a French roast or similarly dark coffee may be the base of the beverage.
In the United States, caffè latte and café au lait are served as two distinct coffee beverages.
This is not the case in Europe, where the two terms are used more as an indication to whether the beverage is served in the "French" or the "Italian" way (the former being in a white porcelain cup or bowl, the latter in a kitchen glass, and always served from the espresso machine).
Drip brewed coffee with milk has no name in Europe.
The term misto (literally, "mixed") is also used to refer to a café au lait, most notably by Starbucks.
In medicine, "café au lait spots" are the discolored birthmark-like spots on a patient's skin that may be indicative of neurofibromatosis or other conditions
In Europe, "café au lait" stems from the same continental tradition as "caffè latte" in Italy, "café con leche" in Spain, "kawa biała" ("white coffee") in Poland and "café com leite" in Portugal, simply "coffee with milk". In northern Europe, café au lait is the name most often used in coffee shops. At home, it can be prepared from dark coffee and heated milk; in cafés, it has been prepared on espresso machines from espresso and steamed milk ever since these machines became available in the 1940s.
In many American coffeehouses, a café au lait is simply made with strong drip brewed or French pressed coffee substituted for espresso, though a French roast or similarly dark coffee may be the base of the beverage.
In the United States, caffè latte and café au lait are served as two distinct coffee beverages.
This is not the case in Europe, where the two terms are used more as an indication to whether the beverage is served in the "French" or the "Italian" way (the former being in a white porcelain cup or bowl, the latter in a kitchen glass, and always served from the espresso machine).
Drip brewed coffee with milk has no name in Europe.
The term misto (literally, "mixed") is also used to refer to a café au lait, most notably by Starbucks.
In medicine, "café au lait spots" are the discolored birthmark-like spots on a patient's skin that may be indicative of neurofibromatosis or other conditions
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