National Café au Lait Day Date in the current year: February 17, 2024

Milk has been added to coffee for centuries, and there are a lot of varieties of milk coffee around the world. The most basic one consists of coffee and steamed or scalded milk in a 1:1 ratio. It is known as café au lait in France, caffè latte in Italy, café con leche in Spain and Latin America, café com leite in Portugal and Brazil, Milchkaffee in Germany, and tejeskávé in Hungary.

Most of these names mean “coffee with milk” or “milk coffee”. However, there are some exceptions. For example, in Poland the drink is known as biała kawa, which means “white coffee”, and in the Netherlands it is called koffie verkeerd, “wrong coffee”.

In most American coffeehouses, two main varieties of milk coffee are served: café au lait and caffè latte. Café au lait, or French-style milk coffee, is made with French pressed or drip brewed coffee and steamed milk. It is usually served in a cup or a bowl. Caffè latte, or Italian-style milk coffee, is made with espresso and scalded milk and served in a glass.

Café au lait is considered a local specialty in New Orleans, where it is made with a twist. Café au lait served by coffee shops in New Orleans is made with coffee mixed with chicory and scalded milk. Roasted chicory root gives the coffee a strong, bitter taste, which is offset by beignets that are traditionally served with New Orleans-style café au lait.