National Café au Lait Day is celebrated annually on February 17 in a festive manner. French delicacy ‘Café au Lait’, translated as ‘coffee with milk,’ is a sweet, delectable beverage created with freshly brewed coffee as a base and topped with steaming hot, delectable milk — in large quantities! Although comparable to the Italian ‘caffè latte’ (coffee, espresso, and steamed milk), the Spanish ‘café con Leche’ (espresso with scalded milk), and the Portuguese ‘café com Leite’ (coffee with heated milk), in terms of ratios and technique of serving, they differ slightly. #Yum.
The history of National Coffee and Milk Day
Coffee, a beverage prepared from the seeds of the coffee plant (coffee beans), is thought to have been found in Ethiopia’s Kaffa area a century ago, where it was initially used as food before spreading to other regions. When coffee arrived in Yemen, though, it became a popular beverage. By the 17th century, coffee’s popularity had expanded from the Middle East to Europe, and then to the rest of the world. Coffee is prepared by drying, roasting, and crushing coffee beans.
According to common belief, the flavour of milk was originally discovered in Europe around 8000 BCE, when milk from cows was used to manufacture dairy products. Farmers throughout Europe are credited with milk’s origin. Recent scientific results indicate, however, that dairy consumption began in Kenya and Sudan at least 6,000 years ago.
The term “Café au Lait” (meaning “coffee with hot milk”) originated in France in the 1600s, when the French first combined coffee with milk. While ‘caffè latte’ is produced with espresso, steamed milk, and froth, and can be served either hot or cold, ‘Café au Lait’ is made with freshly brewed coffee and steamed milk, and must be served hot. Although the origin of Cafe au Lait Day is obscure, there is no denying that this beverage has charmed countless palates! ‘Café au Lait’ is composed of equal parts coffee and milk and is typically a light brown colour.
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5 COFFEE FACTS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
- Currently, the most expensive coffee in the world is Black Ivory Coffee, which averages more than $1,000 a pound.
- Finland has the highest coffee consumption per capita in the world, at 26.45 pounds per person per year.
- In 1879, Nescafé was the first branded coffee offered commercially to the general public.
- In the 17th century, the Polish spy Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki was one of the first to start a café in Vienna and invent the mix.
- The word ‘coffee’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘qahwah,’ the Ottoman Turkish word ‘kahve,’ the Dutch word ‘koffie,’ and, in 1582, the English word ‘coffee’.
NATIONAL CAFE AU LAIT DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | February 17 | Friday |
| 2024 | February 17 | Saturday |
| 2025 | February 17 | Monday |
| 2026 | February 17 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | February 17 | Wednesday |
