Twitter owner and billionaire Elon Musk stirred up a Twitter debate this week after he posted his controversial take on the much-loved beverage – the humble caffè latte.
“A latte is really just an excuse for adults to order warm milk without sounding like a baby,” wrote @elonmusk in a tweet on March 19.
The tweet quickly went viral and a latte debate started brewing in the comments, leaving tweeps divided.
From macchiato to cappuccino, coffee has so many different versions. A latte or caffè latte is a milk coffee that is made up of one or two shots of espresso, steamed milk, and a final, thin layer of frothed milk on top. The term comes from the Italian caffè latte, derived from caffè e latte, literally "coffee and milk".
Agreeing with Musk, Twitter @breeadail, a journalist based in Italy replied: “In Italy, that’s exactly what you’re ordering, unless you specify ‘caffé’ in front of ‘latte’,” adding a laughing emoji and an image of milk with her tweet.
American singer-songwriter @StephanieQuayle commented: “You’re not wrong…”
And, Twitter user @SahilBloom joked: “Apparently there are a lot of coffee-flavored milkshake lovers out there.”
Meanwhile, American singer @flintbedrock, who seems to be on the pro caffè latte side, wrote: “We’ve been exposed!”
Other latte lovers were soon defending their beverage of choice with pictures and GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) of latte art.
Tweep @NearMe_Networks wrote: “I love my warm milk lattes, especially with cute animal art, makes me feel like an alpha male.”
And, @SergioMikhayl wrote: “But, but, but, it is mandatory for our strawberry cake,” with a laughing emoji and a picture of the combination.
“I was getting ready to steam my milk. I’ll just have an espresso instead. You ruined it,” complained tweep, @sweetcarolinatv.
“Too latte. I already ordered one,” tweeted @sankrant.
Meanwhile, taking a dig at those who drink a pumpkin-spiced latte, tweep @carlosgil83 commented: “Well, if ordering a latte is the adult version of warm milk, then I guess getting a pumpkin spice latte must be the adult version of a tantrum.”
Although its name is Italian, the caffè latte may be an American invention. According to an article on masterclass.com, an American online education platform that offers classes with industry experts, an Italian-trained barista, Lino Meiorin, in Berkeley, California, claimed to have invented the latte in the 1950s in response to customers who found his Italian cappuccinos too strong.
However, it is unlikely that Meiorin was the first to add a generous amount of milk to espresso or call such a drink a caffè latte, the article said.
“The first use of the term caffè latte may have been in 1867 in William Dean Howells’s essay Italian Journeys. The coffee with milk that Howells enjoyed on a steamship from Trieste to Venice was nothing like the lattes found today at specialty coffee shops since it was before the invention of the modern espresso machine. What Howells drank was likely similar to café au lait: equal parts brewed coffee and hot milk. Many Italians enjoy café au lait for breakfast, using coffee brewed in a moka pot (a type of stove-top or electric coffee maker that brews coffee by passing boiling water pressurised by steam through ground coffee) and plenty of steamed milk without added foam,” it added.
Other coffee lovers suggested trying different types of coffee.
Tweep @WernerSevenster suggested: “A small flat white (Australian/New Zealand)'s fav coffee is the best. Strong and just enough milk to not be too milky.”
And, @BvsRavi wrote: “Try to taste the South Indian filter coffee. You will fall in love with it for sure.”
Now, in case you are craving a latte, why not try drinking it like the Spaniards? Here’s how to make a Spanish latte.
