   cafÃ© au lait (french for "coffee with milk") is a french coffee drink. the meaning of the term differs between europe and the united states; in both cases it means some kind of coffee with hot milk added, in contrast to white coffee, which is coffee with room temperature milk or other whitener added. == usage == === europe ===  in europe, "cafÃ© au lait" stems from the same continental tradition as "cafÃ© con leche" in spain, "kawa biaÅa" ("white coffee") in poland, "milchkaffee" ("milk coffee") in germany, "koffie verkeerd" ("incorrect coffee") in the netherlands, and "cafÃ© com leite" ("coffee with milk") in portugal and brazil. in the french-speaking areas of switzerland, a popular variation is the "cafÃ© renversÃ©" ("reverse coffee"), which is made by using the milk as a base and adding espresso, in reversal of the normal method of making a "cafÃ© au lait". in northern europe, cafÃ© au lait is the name most often used in coffee shops.  at home, cafÃ© au lait can be prepared from dark coffee and heated milk; in cafÃ©s, it has been prepared on espresso machines from espresso and steamed milk ever since these machines became available in the 1940sâthus it refers to the usual "coffee and milk" combination, depending on the location, not to a specific drink. "cafÃ© au lait" and "caffÃ¨ latte" are used as contrasting terms, to indicate whether the beverage is served in the "french" or the "italian" way, the former being in a white porcelain cup or bowl, the latter in a kitchen glass and always made from an espresso machine, whereas "cafÃ© au lait" might be espresso or dark coffee based. === united s
Coffee_beverages