Nowadays, coffees are served in many sorts of varieties. It is no longer limited to just being a ‘blend-with-milk’ beverage, but there are abundance of black coffee variants found in many coffee shops we regularly visit.
Before you thought you knew all kinds of coffees, have you ever heard of Cortado coffee? Who knows, you might as well have ordered and tasted one without even knowing it!
Cortado coffee has been all the rage lately in several countries. This kind of drink is served on a small cup like an espresso. However, don’t be fooled by its small stature, as the strong taste was what got the talks of coffee drinkers.
So, curious as to what Cortado coffee is? Read the rest of the article to find out!
What’s Cortado Coffee?
Reported by roastycoffee.com, a Cortado is a drink made with espresso and warm milk prepared in a small cup. On a note, the warm milk used is steamed milk and not any other.
Some of you may have questioned, ”What makes the difference between this Cortado and the other Lattes, as Latte consisted of similar ingredients?”
Well, as you may know they both may have shared the same ingredients, but here’s the catch, Cortado used a ratio of 1:1 of espresso and milk respectively (approximately half an espresso and half a milk per serving.)
The use of milk and its exact ratio is meant to reduce the acidity within the espresso. Cortado also produced less foam when served as compared to other coffees that use steamed milk as well.
From ottencoffee.co.id, it is stated that a Cortado is usually served with either a glass or a metal cup. It is rare to see a Cortado served in a ceramic cup, which is often used in other coffees.
Cortado is loved for its simple and small structure. In a usual fashion, changes in volume and size of a coffee’s serving affect the taste; this doesn’t apply to a Cortado. Because most coffee shops would only serve a Cortado in a fixed sized cup. That includes Starbucks who also has a fixed size of one served Cortado.
A Small Peek to Cortado Coffee’s Origin
Cortado hailed from Spain. The word Cortado itself came from the spanish verb “cortar”, meaning to cut. It is named that way because of the addition of milk to cut the bitterness of espresso. Cortado could also refer to the dilution of the espresso.
Cortado specifically came from Basque, Spain. It was then popularized to other territories such as Galicia in the North of Spain, even going as far as Cuba.
Cortado has its unique characteristics of having little to no foam, a distinguished trait from the rest of other Spanish coffees.
The lack of foam is the result of milk being the perfect cut from the espresso’s bitter profile. Resulting in a balanced but powerful flavored blend.
How to Make the Most of a Cortado?
After all we’ve gone through, I’m sure lots of you have a question in mind. “What’s the best way to enjoy a cup of Cortado?”
Reported from roastycoffe.com, Cortados are meant to be sipped slowly. They are normally served in a 5-7 fl oz cup and are meant to be sipped since the caffeine content is strong. In certain places, it is even served with a complimentary glass of water for you to cleanse your palate with after each sip.
Cortado VS Other Espresso+Milk; How Well Does It Stack Up?
I’m sure we’re all curious to see how well the Cortado matches against the other espresso and milk combos. Well without further ado let’s see.
#1 Cortado VS Macchiato, Cappuccino, and Latte
At a glance, all four seemed to be similar, using a shot of espresso. However, the difference came in the ratio of milk poured in. A Macchiato requires less milk thus having less volume and a stronger coffee taste. Cappuccino on the other hand requires more milk, which gives more foam and larger volume but less caffeine content.
It goes the same for Lattes (often confused with Cortado), having more steamed milk ratio compared to Cortado, resulting in less caffeine.
#2 Cortado VS Flat White
Flat White is often compared to Cortado. Once again, sharing similarities with Macchiato, Cappuccino, and Latte, the ratio difference is what separates Flat Whites against Cortado. Surprisingly, Flat White resembles Latte more than Cortado.
With more milk ratio than espresso, this makes Flat White a lot denser and thicker than Cortado. Not to mention, Flat White is often displayed with a touch of Latte art. Hence, sharing more resemblance to Latte.
#3 Cortado VS Gibraltar
Ever heard of Gibraltar? As a matter of fact, they are two peas in a pod. A similar form to each other. So, what makes them different enough to not share a name? Well, this issue has the same context with Americana and Long Black, where distinction happens because of localization and ways of preparations.
Gibraltar is just an underground name. The word was invented in San Francisco, California made by Blue Bottle Coffee Company. In contrast to Cortado, a Gibraltar was named that way because of it being served using a 4.5 oz Libbey “Gibraltar” Glass.
roastycoffee.com reported that the glass was made by a glass manufacturer called Libbey. In short, A Gibraltar is a Cortado served with a Gibraltar Glass.
So? In a mood to try a Cortado? Are you eager enough to try this delight at home? Just make sure you have good quality espresso stashed! Speaking of espresso, if you need tips to make espresso from home, click here.
Don’t forget that you also need high quality Sumatra coffee beans to make all your coffee. Bringing convenience to you, CV. Buah Berdikari got your back if you ever need those quality Arabica Sumatra beans anytime anywhere!