Can I add milk to the iced American style? What is the difference between American coffee and latte?

As we all know, American style refers to a cup of black coffee without adding anything except concentrate and water. The taste is relatively light, but it also retains the taste of the coffee itself. It is bitter and sweet in the mouth, and it may be a little difficult to take the first sip. Accept, then slowly adapt, and gradually experience the mellow taste.

For people who are less receptive to bitter tastes, a little sugar is usually added to neutralize it, making the American style more palatable. But occasionally, I will encounter some customers on the front street who like to order like this: "Give me an American cup and help me add some milk in it."

Such a "hidden drinking method" will not only attract the attention of individual friends, but sometimes make some novice baristas subconsciously curious, wouldn't American milk become a latte? Why does American food add milk instead of ordering a latte? How much milk should I add?

Is American milk equal to latte?

As two classic coffees that occupy the top spot on the menu all year round, American and Latte have certain differences in raw materials, production process, taste, etc. Both are based on single/double Italian concentrate. The difference is reflected in the taste gap caused by the barista's grasp and control of concentrate and milk/water.

But in fact, as long as the concept is more popular, you will find that American style is nothing more than concentrated Italian with water, and latte is concentrated Italian with milk. Therefore, adding milk to the American style is equivalent to adding a small amount of milk on the basis of "concentrate + water." Such a "new combination" obviously cannot be equated with traditional latte because it still retains the basic characteristics of the American style, and milk Here, it is more like a "supporting role" to set off.

Why does American medicine add milk?

If a friend who has been drinking black coffee for many years is asked to take a sip of "American with milk", he will likely frown and even find it unbelievable, and finally say loudly: "Drink it!! "。Because in their view, this "destroys" the original American ratio. The coffee is neither refreshing nor strong. With the help of milk, on the one hand, the aroma is weak, and on the other hand, the taste is also exaggerated.

If such "hidden practices" don't make coffee better, why do people still like to add milk to the American style?

1. Increase smoothness and enhance deep-baked aroma

As we all know, a cup of standard American topcoat will often have a beautiful golden foam-Crema. Moderate oil not only brings a good oral feel to coffee, but also provides us with some aroma substances on the smell. It is also one of the important signs of freshness of coffee. In order to improve the richness of oil, many people will give priority to using deep-baked beans (Italian beans). The main flavor itself is bitter. Once the parameters are not adjusted well, the coffee will also show the negative characteristics of dryness or roughness.

Adding a small amount of milk at this time can not only neutralize the bitterness of the coffee, but also the mellow feeling of the milk will enhance the entire American cup to a sticky taste, enriching the caramel and chocolate aromas.

2. Personal taste

Through communication with customers who like to drink "American with milk", we found that some people do this because they don't like the sweet taste of lattes, but drinking American directly feels too "exciting", so they "improve" themselves; Others like to taste the taste of beans themselves, but it is difficult to accept even a little bit of bitterness in coffee. Adding a little milk can weaken the bitterness without affecting its own flavor, which is killing two birds with one stone.

3."Helpless actions" for lactose intolerant people

Different from the second situation, it is not that this type of friend doesn't like milk coffee, but because of physical problems, they are "not happy" to enjoy it. After a cup of latte, they may have to immediately devote themselves to the bathroom. Therefore, in order to improve lactose intolerance, they can't "recklessly" sip lattes in large gulps, but add a small amount of milk to American food to not only adapt their gastrointestinal tract, but also to a certain extent. addiction.

How to add milk to American coffee to taste better?

When it comes to drinking coffee, Qianjie has always felt that standards are secondary and that he feels good is the key. Therefore, compared with whether American milk can be added, we should discuss how to add milk to taste good. In order to maintain a balanced taste between milk and coffee, the American concentration can be slightly adjusted during production, and full fat fresh milk with higher protein content can be preferred.

Under normal circumstances, the products of each coffee shop have a fixed ratio. For example, the hot American style made from mid-to-deep baking will be served in a ceramic cup with a capacity of 240ml. The coffee is generally 35~40ml, and the hot American style is 180ml. The ratio is roughly 1:4.5. The hot American style produced in this way is directly drunk with moderate concentration, balanced mellow aroma, and slightly sweet.

For friends who need to add extra milk, the ratio of coffee and hot water is adjusted to 1:4 at Qianjiehui. First add 160ml of hot water to the cup and pour 40ml of Italian concentrate. Then add 15ml of fresh milk to every 100ml of black coffee. Mix, that is, 30ml of fresh milk, which will have a good effect in terms of concentration, taste, and aroma.

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