What are the exact flavor characteristics of a Piccolo Latte? Understanding the recipe definition of Piccolo Latte coffee

What is a Piccolo Latte?

A Piccolo latte is an Italian coffee beverage made from espresso and steamed milk, served in a smaller cup with a typical capacity of 90-100ml, earning it the nickname "mini hot latte." Baristas typically use lighter roasted coffee beans for its preparation, resulting in rich coffee aroma that isn't overpowering.

Why Are Piccolo Lattes So Small?

The Piccolo latte originates from Australia. When you order a Piccolo in Sydney, baristas serve you a 3-4 ounce (88-118ml) hot milk coffee, usually presented in a glass cup. The coffee offers a delicate aroma, combining the creamy smoothness of milk with rich coffee flavors. Even after finishing, a pleasant aftertaste lingers, often leaving you wanting more. So why exactly are Piccolo lattes so small?

Piccolos were initially created when roasters or baristas needed to test the compatibility between coffee beans and milk without making a full 200-300ml latte for evaluation. The solution was to reduce the milk proportion. Later, baristas introduced this "small latte" to their menus for customers who wanted to limit caffeine intake or preferred smaller portions. Some might wonder if they're getting a bad deal since the price is similar to a regular latte despite the smaller size.

With the development of specialty coffee, coffee professionals began pursuing coffees with distinct regional characteristics, such as fruity and floral notes. Various exquisite single-origin coffees have been incorporated into espresso drinks. Given the large volume of traditional lattes, the higher milk ratio makes them more like milk with coffee flavor, emphasizing balance over highlighting the beans' unique characteristics. Therefore, baristas explored using smaller milk-based coffee drinks to showcase distinctive flavors. By adding a small amount of sweet, warm milk to complement the coffee beans' special qualities, the goal is simply to create better-tasting coffee, making it well worth the price.

How to Make a Piccolo Latte?

Friends who have visited FrontStreet Coffee's stores may have noticed that our espresso menu doesn't include Piccolo lattes. However, FrontStreet Coffee will attempt to recreate this "niche" beverage to see how it tastes.

FrontStreet Coffee makes Piccolos using a small 90-100ml cup with a coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:5, preheating the cup to ensure optimal drinking temperature. We use a single Ristretto as the base. Ristretto, meaning "restricted" in Italian, is also called Italian concentrated coffee. It typically uses only the first and middle portions of an espresso extraction, resulting in a more concentrated flavor profile. FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 28 grams of coffee liquid in 20-25 seconds, with a single Ristretto being 14 grams, which is poured into the cup first.

The milk frothing process requires precision, as smaller amounts of milk are more difficult to froth properly. FrontStreet Coffee uses a 350ml milk pitcher and pours in 100ml of milk. Unlike flat whites, Piccolos don't require milk foam level with the cup rim, so we maintain a foam layer similar to lattes, about 0.3-0.5cm thick. The milk is steamed to between 55-60°C to ensure it's not too hot to drink. We aim for uniform integration with the Ristretto, beginning latte art when the cup is about seven-tenths full. The freshly made Piccolo offers the best flavor when consumed immediately.

The coffee's flavor originates from the beans used. All espresso drinks at FrontStreet Coffee stores are extracted using our own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sunshine Blend" coffee beans. The Piccolo coffee crafted by FrontStreet Coffee presents notes of vanilla, cream, chocolate milk, and whiskey-filled chocolate, along with berry acidity. It delivers full coffee flavor with milky sweetness and an exceptionally long aftertaste.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473