Coffee is an almost universal pleasure, loved and produced in so many countries around the world, in each region it has its own peculiar characteristics and is consumed differently. As we know theorigin of coffee can most likely be attributed to Ethiopia, but it is no surprise to discover that even in Latin America there are passionate producers and consumers of the bitter hot drink.
Here, then, the most curious can find right among Argentina, Peru, Mexico or Cuba tempting solutions and proposals for the palate such as coffee cortado. Let's see what it is all about.
What is coffee cortado?
Coffee cortado is nothing more than anespresso"cut" with a small amount of milk. In fact, in Spanish, "cortar" really means to cut, and from the action that is performed to prepare the cortado, it directly derives its name. However, we are not talking about a cut made without a reason: in fact, the purpose of the addition is to reduce the typical acidity of coffee.
It is a drink that originated in Argentina, but is now also popular in Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal. We also find cortado in other Latin American countries, for example, Chile, where it is drunk in the evening, a small treat at the end of the day.
Generally, it is served in a glass, to preserve the intensity and authenticity of its taste and aroma, with a metal disc at the base and a handle of the same material.
Cortadito, leche y leche and the other variations
The success of an idea can also be measured by the number and variety of alternatives that arise, often spontaneously, far from the land of origin. Here, then, we understand the passion for café cortado by researching the variants, in name and preparation, that have established themselves far from Argentina.
In Cuba, for example, it is known as "cortadito," while in the Catalan regionto enjoy a coffee cortado you will have to remember to order a "tallat."
There are, then, also some proposals that slightly modify the recipe. The most popular ones are definitely thecortado condensada, prepared with condensed milk instead of fresh milk, and theleche y lechewhich combines condensed milk and cream.
Much loved by those who aim to minimize the acidity of coffee is theLágrima, which is a cortado with inverted proportions. It is actually prepared with a glass or cup full of hot milk into which is poured a tear, precisely, of coffee.
Coffee in Argentina, a cultural institution
Argentina, besides being the home of the cortado, is a country where coffee is a true cultural institution, perhaps also a result of close relations with Italy. Despite the proliferation, as is the case everywhere in the world, of national and international coffee shop chains, a strong and deep-rooted tradition about coffee survives.
In fact, in every traditional café you can order: classic coffee, classic with milk, café "solo," "doble," cortado precisely, or café con crema or nata, lagrima and americano. Aside from café con leche, which is strictly served in a cup, for all others it is actually possible to choose between cup and glass, which is usually slightly larger.
The Argentine coffee ritual dictates that the cortado should be systematically accompanied with medialunas which, are nothing more than classic croissants. Even better if ordered at the famous Café Tortoni in Buenos Aires: this café, founded in 1858, preserves intact the spirit of the past and is, therefore, the ideal place to savor cortado and absorb the local coffee culture.
What is the difference between coffee cortado and macchiato?
Since café cortado is, in fact, an espresso cut with milk, many have wondered how it differs from café macchiato. The difference, in fact, is subtle, but it is important to note that the Italian variant is, yes, an espresso with milk, but the recipe calls for only a small amount of hot foam to be added.
The macchiato as we consume it in Italian bars was born out of necessity: in fact, in order to show waiters which cups to serve, bartenders began to "mark" them with the speck of milk foam. It was an idea that consumers liked so much that it became one of the most popular coffee variants in Italy and beyond.
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