The Italian translation says that a macchiato coffee is nothing more than a “stained” or “spotted” drink. Each barista (the person standing at the bar, the bartender, the coffeemaker – in Italian) makes his or her own macchiato, but at the heart of this drink is a specific brewing technique.
Macchiato is made from a part of espresso coffee and a small quantity of milk. This coffee is somewhat similar to cappuccino, but macchiato differs from it in that it has a smaller volume and higher strength. Sometimes different flavors of syrup (not citrus fruits!) are added to the macchiato to diversify its flavor. To get a good crema for this type of coffee, a coffee maker cone is usually used to steam the drink.
Varieties of Macchiato
Macchiato is a really wonderful drink, which has its own subspecies. True coffee aficionados are good at distinguishing the flavors of these drinks, which are still based on two ingredients – a portion of espresso and milk. There are, however, differences in the flavors of the macchiato subspecies.
Espresso macchiato (mocha) is a mixture of certain proportions of coffee and milk.
Latte macchiato – here, coffee is added directly to milk that has been steamed.
Freddo macchiato – cold milk is added to espresso coffee.
Caldo macchiato – hot milk is added to a portion of espresso.
By the way, it is the macchiato coffee that serves as the basis for another type of coffee – latte art.
Making macchiato the classic way
Classic macchiato is made from 50 ml of milk, a portion (30 ml) of espresso coffee, syrup or sugar to taste.
The milk should be whipped with the steam nozzle of the coffee machine. Or, if the coffee maker does not have such an option, the milk is whipped with a mixer until it becomes a thick milk froth. The milk is poured into a serving cup and a thin stream of hot espresso is poured over it.
It would be quite correct to whip the milk and put the cup with it under the serving of coffee (during its vacuum or capsule preparation). The coffee will pour into the cup under pressure, in a thin stream. The result will be a three-layer macchiato. At the very top will be a whipped white foam with a spot of coffee in the middle.
Many bartenders manage to make an original drawing on this foam. The drink is insanely beautiful. The taste is strong, with a slightly milky aftertaste. This drink is much in demand among males. After all, it is strong enough, but not as delicate as cappuccino.
