Why is Latte Coffee So Popular?

Many people may have had their first coffee experience through a friend's recommendation to try a latte. Upon tasting it for the first time, they might think: "Hmm? It's not as bitter as I expected? There's even a hint of milky sweetness? Delicious!" This initial pleasant experience sparked their curiosity about coffee, leading them down an irrevocable path of coffee exploration. So what exactly makes latte so appealing?

The Essence of Latte Coffee

"Caffè latte" literally translates to "milk coffee." In broad terms, any coffee made with an espresso machine, moka pot, French press, siphon, pour-over, stovetop brew, or even instant coffee, when combined with milk, can be called latte coffee. There are no strict preparation requirements, and it can be served hot or cold. However, what is commonly understood as latte coffee today is a specialty coffee made with espresso combined with milk.

The Rise of Latte in China's Coffee Market

Since the reform and opening-up period, various types of coffee were introduced as foreign products. At that time, people generally had access to canned or instant coffee, which were primarily made from Robusta beans. Because Robusta beans lack distinctive flavors, they were typically roasted dark, leading to the impression among first-time coffee drinkers that coffee was simply "very bitter."

For most people, bitterness is difficult to accept. When they learned from coffee packaging that milk could be added to coffee, increasingly more people chose to mix in large amounts of milk to balance the intense bitterness while enjoying the smooth texture and fresh sweetness that milk brings. This was the earliest reason people drank latte, though at the time they might not have known this way of drinking was called "latte coffee."

Following instant and canned coffee, international chain brands like Starbucks began entering China and expanding rapidly. Initially, they wanted to introduce Italian espresso to China to open up the market, and the concept of "freshly ground coffee" spread alongside. Independent coffee shops began to become more common, but coffee flavors still tended toward intense bitterness.

People gradually discovered that if they ordered latte coffee at cafés, they could not only enjoy a cup of coffee that was sweet, smooth, and not overly bitter, but also receive a beautiful latte art pattern. This made latte coffee appealing to a broader audience, with some even using latte art skills as a criterion for judging whether a café was professional. Ordering a beautiful and delicious hot latte and quietly enjoying the café atmosphere became one of the reasons people went out for coffee at that time.

The Evolution of Latte in the Specialty Coffee Era

As the concept of "specialty coffee" became widespread, coffee quality became increasingly controllable and improved. People also came to realize that coffee isn't just about bitterness—it can offer flavors such as floral notes, fruit acidity, almonds, chocolate, and more. The approach to latte coffee was no longer about using milk to mask coffee's bitterness, but rather about using milk to enhance coffee's flavors, achieving a 1+1>2 effect.

To appreciate coffee flavors more delicately, adjusting the ratio of coffee to milk and finding the appropriate concentration became essential. In response, China's coffee market began introducing smaller-sized milk coffees such as piccolo and dirty, aiming to clearly showcase the flavor profile of a single coffee bean even in milk-based beverages.

When SOE (Single Origin Espresso) gained popularity among coffee enthusiasts and became a major trend in the coffee world, more and more people hoped to taste the regional terroir characteristics of single-origin espresso while also wanting milk to bring new breakthroughs to SOE, making the coffee even more delicious. This prompted many coffee lovers to choose milk coffee beverages like SOE Dirty and SOE Flat White.

Therefore, the reason why friends accustomed to drinking coffee choose latte is more likely the desire to experience the different flavor presentation that results from coffee combined with milk, as well as the smooth texture experience that milk provides.

Conclusion

Of course, latte is ultimately just a coffee beverage. While being accepted by the masses, its greatest appeal lies in how it has brought more possibilities to coffee, which is why it is so widely loved.

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