Lattes Aren't Just Coffee

It’s a very common misconception that all lattes are coffees, in part because lattes are traditionally espresso-based. But the word “latte” is Italian for milk, so the defining characteristic of a latte is that it is primarily made of milk. As a result, there are many things you can make lattes out of that aren’t coffee!

The most common non-coffee latte you can find—and my absolute favorite—is a hot cup of chai latte! I love it so much that I even chose Chai as my username * And as a bonus, “Chailotl” sounds similar to chai latte! It’s based on a tea from India called masala chai; a black tea with a blend of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger, and a splash of milk too.

I like masala chai on its own, but if you replace all the water with milk and optionally add some sweetener, you have a killer drink that even non-tea drinkers will love! You can find it at places like Dunkin, Starbucks, and any cafe worth their salt. Anytime I go to a new place and they have chai latte, I always go for it to discover just how they do theirs differently.

A less common latte you can find is the matcha latte. Matcha is a Japanese green tea made by grinding the entire tea leaf into a powder, so it has a bit of an earthy taste, but the milk and sweetener probably make it more tolerable :o

An even rarer latte I’ve had is the golden latte, which gets it’s bright yellow color from turmeric. They’re more often called golden milk, but it’s the same thing really. It has a really interesting flavor I like, * More than matcha to be honest. and it shares a bunch of the same spices as masala chai. Just make sure you don’t spill it on yourself cause it will permanently stain your clothes!

Remember when I said chai latte is the most common non-coffee latte? Well, before writing this I didn’t realize hot chocolate is actually a latte, and it is undeniably the most common! Afterall, who would want to drink hot cocoa without milk?

So as you can see, lattes are more than just coffees. You should give them a try next time you’re in a cafe!