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Tea Lattes

Latte is the Italian word for “milk.”  In the context of beverages, it has come to mean a drink, usually made from a coffee base, with milk added.  Tea lattes are, as one might expect, made with tea instead of coffee; otherwise the concept is the same.  “Milk,” also has come to be more broadly defined; soy milk, almond milk, or other lactose-free substitutes are increasingly commonly available for people with specific dietary restrictions.

Coffee lattes were invented in the Bay Area in the 50s.  Italian-style cafés serving continental-strength coffee found that their offerings were too rich and strong for Americans’ tastes.  Milk was added to their coffees and espressos as a way of smoothing out and diluting the delicious flavor for the local taste.

The latte, then, is an American invention, which is not always well understood. Many a tourist has ordered a latte at a coffee shop in Italy, receiving in return only a glass of milk and a sideways glance.

Tea lattes are newer, though, although the concept is the same, but, naturally, are made with tea instead of coffee.  The modern tea latte may have come from Japan, and certainly has forerunners in the sweetened, milky teas of Thailand as well as the Chai teas of India and South Asia.  Tea brewed for use in lattes is about twice as strong as regular tea, so that the flavors in the tea are retained when the steamed milk is added to the drink.

The Chai and Thai teas are both served with sweeteners, spices, and milk, and in this respect are similar to lattes.  Both are very different from the English practice of serving regular (that is: regularly prepared!) tea with milk and sugar, although all of these variations in tea consumption can be quite sweet at times.

Chai tea, which is an Indian tea drink flavored with fennel, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, anise, and other spices and sweetened with sugar and milk, is often served in latte form, which is similar to its traditional preparation.  However, other kinds of teas, such as Assam, Ceylon, or any strong black tea can be used as well.  Specialty tea lattes based on specific kinds of tea are becoming popular; London Fog, for instance, is a tea latte based on the popular Earl Grey tea, and the bergamot flavor mixes well with the steamed milk and provides an exotic floral aroma.

Other hot drinks, such as herbal tisanes, can also be the base for lattes.  Particularly popular are lattes based on the South African “Red Bush” plant called Rooibos.  Although often mentioned with teas and found in tea shops, Rooibos is, in fact, utterly unrelated to the tea plant.  It does, however, make a tasty, semi-sweet latte that is often served for dessert.

The growing popularity of tea lattes offers tea drinkers a new way to consume their favorite beverage, as well as a crossover alternative for adventurous coffee drinkers looking to expand their horizons.

To brew the best quality loose leaf tea, you’ll need teaware like cast iron tea pots, Yixing tea pots, or kyusu tea pots.

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