How to make latte and cappuccino, and the differences between them — A comparison of preparation methods and taste profiles for cappuccino, latte, and mocha coffees

Source:Best Coffee > News Author:qjroot Published:2026-01-07 16:54:27



At FrontStreet, many friends order both latte and mocha, two very popular coffees, and the baristas at FrontStreet Coffee love them too. But when it comes to the difference between them, many people probably do not know. FrontStreet tells you: latte and mocha are actually different types of coffee. Latte has milk added, so its coffee flavor is relatively milder, while mocha depends on whether it is a pure coffee or a fancy one. A pure mocha, black coffee, is rather elegant in its sweet, sour and bitter notes, with a stronger body; an American mocha is a fancy coffee, with chocolate sauce and cream or milk foam added, combining with chocolate and milk for a pretty good taste.


Latte is a classic blend of Italian espresso and milk, and Italians also like to have latte as a breakfast drink. In an Italian morning kitchen, coffee and milk are usually simmering at the same time on a stove that catches the sunlight.


Large Latte Dirty Cover 1618


Latte is a classic blend of Italian espresso (Espresso) and milk, and Italians also like to have latte as a breakfast drink. In an Italian morning kitchen, coffee and milk are usually simmering at the same time on a stove that catches the sunlight. For Italians who drink latte, it is not so much that they like Italian espresso as that they like milk, and only Espresso can give ordinary milk an unforgettable flavor.


Mocha (Mocca Cafe) is an ancient coffee made by blending Italian espresso, chocolate sauce, fresh cream and milk.


Mocha Latte Art bec3eb


In the 15th century, the export shipping industry of coffee countries across the Middle East and Africa was not prosperous, and Yemen's Mocha was a major export commercial port near the Red Sea at that time. At that time, African coffee that was mainly gathered at Mocha Port before being exported was all collectively called Mocha coffee. Although emerging ports later replaced the position of Mocha Port, the origins of Mocha coffee from the Mocha Port period were still preserved, and the coffee beans produced in these origins are still called Mocha coffee beans.


Later, in order to recreate the chocolate-flavored Mocha coffee, people thought of adding flavoring sauces and cream to it, and so it gradually became the mocha espresso coffee we know today. As the international chain brand Starbucks brought espresso drinks to all parts of the world, milk coffee with chocolate-flavored sauce added became known to more people.


 Latte and Cappuccino 20 


Taste Differences Between Latte and Cappuccino


1. Different Latte Art


The most intuitive way to tell them apart is by looking at the latte art. Although both latte and cappuccino involve steaming milk when they are made, the milk foam needed for a latte is thinner than that for a cappuccino. It is precisely this thin layer of milk foam that gives the coffee good fluidity, which is why a latte can produce latte art patterns with exquisite shapes and fine lines.


Half Latte 6d1ac


A cappuccino, on the other hand, cannot produce latte art patterns with fine lines because of its thick milk foam, so it is generally finished with etching or without latte art at all. This is also why latte art is called "latte art".


2. Quite Different Mouthfeel


To find out the differences between the two, we made a latte and a cappuccino, using Qianjie specialty blend coffee beans, a coffee made from a combination of two well-known origins, Brazil and Colombia, with a medium-dark roast; the espresso has aromas of cocoa, chocolate, cookies and cream, making it an excellent match for milk.


Specialty Blend 230e


Although the ingredients are the same, the different proportions create the difference in taste between the two. Generally speaking, a latte is 70% milk, 20% milk foam and only 10% coffee, and the fact that the proportion of milk far exceeds that of coffee is a major characteristic of a latte. So when tasting, a latte has a rich milky aroma, a smooth mouthfeel and a relatively mild coffee bitterness.


Kabu d005


In a cappuccino, the ratios of milk, milk foam and coffee are all one third each, and having equal proportions of milk and coffee is the biggest characteristic of a cappuccino. Because the smaller proportions of milk and milk foam cannot mask the aroma of the coffee, when tasting it a cappuccino has a rich coffee aroma, while the mouthfeel is creamier, just like marshmallow. So if you are not used to strong coffee you should choose a latte, but if you like coffee with a slightly stronger taste then a cappuccino will be your favorite.

3. The two have different origins

Latte means milk in Italian, and the earliest latte coffee was simply made by adding hot milk directly to brewed coffee. It was not until the Italian Achille Gaggia invented the steam pressure coffee machine that Italian-style latte coffee became popular and has remained so to this day. Cappuccino, on the other hand, appeared along with the steam pressure coffee machine, so its origin is later than that of latte coffee. The name cappuccino actually comes from the brown robes and pointed hoods worn by church friars.

 

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee)


Related Reading

Comments (0)

Loading comments...

You May Be Interested

Trending Reviews

Popular Videos

Download App

With you, wherever you are! We provide useful features to help you find new things you'll love