Macchiato coffee

In a UK café, a macchiato usually means an espresso marked with a small spoonful of steamed milk or milk foam. It is much smaller and stronger-tasting than a milky coffee.

Make a shot of espresso, then spoon a little steamed milk or foam on top. Serve it straight away; adding lots of milk turns it into a different drink.

A macchiato starts with espresso and gets a small mark of milk. A latte macchiato is mostly steamed milk, with espresso poured into it, so it is larger and milkier.

Yes. Steam a small amount of barista-style oat milk and spoon the foam onto the espresso; it may foam differently from dairy milk. The usual version contains dairy milk, so ask for an alternative when ordering.

Not usually: the classic espresso macchiato has no sugar or syrup added. You can add sugar, but a caramel-flavoured café drink is a sweeter variation, not the traditional small espresso-and-milk drink.

Its short, strong flavour works well alongside a small biscuit, such as a biscotti or shortbread, rather than a large, very sweet cake.

It tastes best immediately, while the espresso and milk foam are fresh. If you need to save it, cool it promptly, refrigerate within two hours and use within two days; the foam will not stay intact.