A True Macchiato Is Much Different From Starbucks' Iconic Drink

There's no question that coffee powerhouse, Starbucks, creates some super-innovative and delicious beverages, many of which contain no coffee at all. And, when you're cruising for a caffeine fix, you generally don't have to travel far to find the company's iconic green logo — there are currently over 16,000 Starbucks stores in the United States alone. While the business is clearly doing something right, it must be said that it doesn't always focus on authenticity, and thinking that Starbucks' menu accurately represents hot drink culture around the world is a common coffee mistake. Take the macchiato, for instance. The espresso-based favorite doesn't look anything like a macchiato made in the country of its origin, Italy.

Translated as "marked" or "stained" in Italian, a macchiato in Italy is made by pulling a shot of espresso and topping it, or marking it, with a small dollop of milk foam. It contains no steamed milk, other than the froth on top. To get something similar at Starbucks, you'll need to ask for an espresso macchiato since there are other non-traditional macchiato drinks on the menu. For example, the iconic caramel macchiato contains steamed milk flavored with vanilla syrup and a drizzle of caramel. Could you order this in Italy? Perhaps, but likely only at a place that caters to lots of American tourists.

In Italy, the amount of milk in a coffee can completely change the drink (and the name of the drink) itself, which is why it's helpful to have baristas who can decode the menu for us. Aside from the milk-kissed macchiato, there is the caffè latte, cappuccino, and marocchino. In a caffè latte, espresso is served with a higher ratio of warm milk to coffee and very little to no milk foam. When you order a cappuccino, you'll receive a warm drink that is traditionally made with a 1:1:1 ratio of espresso, steamed milk, and foam. Expect much more foam on a cappuccino than you'll get on top of a macchiato. And remember, cappuccino is generally considered a morning beverage in Italy. Try one with a square of focaccia for the best Italian breakfast you could ever imagine.

While lattes, macchiatos, and cappuccinos are all fairly familiar to the average American coffee drinker, the marocchino may be somewhat of a mystery to many. This drink could be described as Italy's answer to the American cafe mocha — espresso sometimes combined with hot chocolate or Nutella and topped with a generous layer of foam, which is sprinkled with cocoa powder. You could probably ask a Starbucks barista to make you something similar to a marocchino if you explain what goes into one, but like the macchiato, don't expect 100% Italian results.