They look similar in a café cup but they’re quite different drinks:
Chai Latte
Coffee Latte (Caffè Latte)
👉 So the difference is:
Chai Latte
- Base: Made with chai (a spiced tea blend, often black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, star anise, etc.).
- Flavour: Sweet, spiced, aromatic, no coffee.
- Milk: Steamed milk (sometimes with froth) is added to the brewed chai or chai syrup/powder.
- Caffeine: Generally less than coffee, though still present from the black tea.
Coffee Latte (Caffè Latte)
- Base: Made with espresso coffee.
- Flavour: Smooth, coffee-forward taste, sometimes with slight sweetness from the milk.
- Milk: Steamed milk and a small layer of foam.
- Caffeine: Higher than chai, because of the espresso shot(s).
👉 So the difference is:
- Chai latte = tea + milk + spices.
- Coffee latte = espresso coffee + milk
