Cortado

This article is about the coffee. For the streaming applet, see Cortado (software).
A café cortado

A cortado is an espresso cut with a small amount of warm milk.[1] The word cortado is the past participle of the Spanish verb cortar (to cut). In Spanish-speaking countries, a cortado is similar to the Italian caffè macchiato, where a small amount of warm milk is added to "cut" (literally "stain") the espresso. In the United States, the ratio of milk to coffee is between 1:1 and 1:2, and the milk is added after the espresso.

Other names and variations

A cortado is also known as "Tallat" in Catalan, "Ebaki" in Basque, "Pingo" or "Garoto" in Portugal and "noisette" in France. It is also commonly called a "Gibraltar" in the United States, especially on the West Coast. The name Gibraltar originates in San Francisco, California, where roasters – first Blue Bottle Coffee Company, later Ritual Coffee Roasters and others – started the trend by serving the drink in Libbey–Owens–Ford glassware by the same name.[2][3]

A Gibraltar, served in San Francisco

In Cuba, it is known as a cortadito. It's usually served in a special glass, often with a metal ring base and a metal wire handle. There are several variations, including cortado condensada, cafe con leche condensada or bombon (espresso with condensed milk) and leche y leche (with condensed milk and cream on top). Brought to the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida, by Cuban-Americans in the 1960s, the drink is now found throughout the city, and is an important part of everyday culture, particularly among Cubans.

Similar drinks

However a cortado is made, in non Spanish-speaking countries, it should be distinguished from the Italian caffè macchiato or cappuccino – a macchiato has only a small amount of milk foam added, while a cappuccino has both foam and milk.[2] A similar drink in Australia is known as a piccolo latte, or simply a piccolo.[4] This is a single ristretto shot in a macchiato glass that is then filled with steamed milk in the same fashion as a cafe latte. A larger drink, popular in Portugal, is the galão, which uses 1:3 proportions but is otherwise similar to a cortado.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Drink This Now: Cognoscenti Coffee's On-the-Menu Cortado", LA Weekly
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "A Cortado Is Not a Minivan", The New York Times Style Magazine, March 4, 2010
  3. ↑ Daniel Young (March 2009), Gibraltar, San Francisco's Cult Coffee, Comes to London
  4. ↑ "What is a Piccolo Latte?", Cafe Culture, August 15, 2011

External links