Why is Latte Almost Always the "#1 Bestseller" at Nearly Every Coffee Shop? What is a Latte?

The Rise of Latte: Why It Reigns Supreme in Coffee Shops

Latte, in its broadest sense, refers to a coffee beverage made with espresso as its base, combined with a certain proportion of milk. It has become an essential item on virtually every coffee shop menu. Whether at large chain brands or exquisite independent cafés, lattes consistently rank as the highest-selling beverage.

"With so many coffee varieties available, why does the latte still emerge as the top seller in most coffee shops?" This has become a hot topic recently. In fact, FrontStreet Coffee had already shared similar content last year. The latte's widespread popularity stems from multiple factors working in concert. Among these, FrontStreet Coffee believes the most important reason is its higher milk content and milder coffee flavor.

More Milk, Less Coffee Intensity

After the advent of espresso machines, small yet potent espresso took Italy by storm. However, because coffee bean quality wasn't as high as today and roasts were much darker, the extracted espresso had an extremely strong bitter, burnt taste. This wasn't particularly palatable for those who couldn't handle bitterness or were just beginning to explore espresso. Thus emerged the practice of adding steamed milk to espresso! But we should know that the earliest Italian milk coffee wasn't the latte, but the cappuccino. To maintain coffee flavor while incorporating milk, Italian baristas created dense, thick foam to limit the proportion of milk in the cup, ensuring coffee taste wasn't overwhelmed by the milk.

The American Evolution

In the 1950s and 60s, Italian immigrants brought espresso machines to California, opening a café (Caffè Mediterraneum) to make a living. However, local Americans weren't accustomed to drinking strong coffee, so they couldn't accept high-concentration Italian espresso—even with milk added, as in cappuccinos. The café owner therefore adapted to local tastes by modifying the cappuccino to suit American preferences. By reducing the thickness of the foam and increasing the proportion of milk in the cup, a beverage with more milk and milder coffee flavor than cappuccino was born.

The Perfect Balance

With more milk added, the bitterness of coffee was neutralized. The taste was no longer intense burnt bitterness but transformed into gentle richness. Meanwhile, because milk is rich in protein and fat, the increased milk quantity further enhanced the coffee's texture, making it smoother, more full-bodied, and more approachable. For this reason, compared to cappuccinos, this coffee appealed to a broader local audience. To distinguish this more approachable milk coffee from cappuccinos, the owner named it "Caffè e latte," introducing it as an entirely new category on the menu.

Modern Appeal: Beyond Taste

Even today in the 21st century, the latte's popularity still primarily stems from its higher milk content and milder coffee flavor. We can simply understand that compared to other coffees, it's less bitter, which is why it's accepted by most people. After all, including FrontStreet Coffee and most of our friends, few people are fans of bitter flavors. However, we should know that typically, when someone has no understanding of coffee, they cannot distinguish between cappuccino and latte, only knowing both are coffees with milk added—whether there's more or less milk remains unknown. In such situations, another characteristic of latte emerges, causing people to prioritize it when ordering. What characteristic? That's right—the complex and varied latte art patterns.

Unique Visual Appeal and Ceremony

In 1980, Seattle-based barista David Schomer accidentally created a heart-shaped pattern with foam on the crema during latte preparation. This appearance completely opened the door to coffee latte art. Since then, people began using foam to create designs on coffee, adding visual effects with unique patterns. And latte became the primary showcase platform for coffee latte art.

The Perfect Canvas for Art

Compared to other milk coffees, latte foam is more suitable for latte art. Neither too thick nor too thin, its fluidity is just right. Beyond basic simple patterns, this foam can also be used to create more complex combined designs. Therefore, latte has become the main platform for showcasing latte art, with most complex patterns being born in latte cups. And because of this, even when people don't know the difference between latte and cappuccino, they'll prioritize latte due to its complex patterns.

Versatility and Choice

Because latte's design doesn't emphasize coffee flavor but rather requires balance between milk and coffee, compared to other coffees that highlight coffee flavor, latte offers greater versatility.

It can incorporate various flavored syrups to create rich, diverse choices, satisfying different taste preferences. It can also be made with various types of milk to meet the needs of people with different dietary preferences. For this reason, latte is not only a favorite among consumers but also the first choice for most baristas when creating new beverages.

Additional Factors

Beyond these three main factors, there are other elements that boost latte sales, such as larger cup sizes being more economical, being the preferred choice for promotional materials, and so on. In summary, we can understand that because latte offers significant advantages in all aspects and maintains a perfect balance, it has risen to the top of sales charts in most coffee shops.

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