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What is a cortado?

Have you never heard of a cortado? That’s completely understandable! This coffee variety is not yet very well known in New Zealand, but in countries like Spain, Portugal, and Cuba, people order it all the time. How is this type of coffee made? And what are the characteristics of this small flavour sensation? On this page, you’ll find answers to all these questions.

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What is a cortado?

The base of a good cortado consists of an espresso. In a cortado, the espresso is ‘cut’ with warm milk. This coffee contains as much milk as espresso, or sometimes just a little more. This milk has no foam, unlike a macchiato, where foam is essential. If it is made with a bit of foam after all, it is also called ‘leche y leche,’ which means ‘milk and milk.’
Where does the cortado come from?The cortado owes its name to the Spanish word cortar, which means ‘to cut.’ Spain is therefore the homeland of this small yet strong coffee. Today, the cortado can be found all over the world, but it is especially popular in Spain, Portugal, and several South American countries.

Serving a cortado

In Spain, a cortado is served in a glass, but in various South American countries it is customary to use a ceramic cup. Choose whichever you find most comfortable to drink from.

These beans are the most delicious for your cortado

Because the base of a cortado is espresso, we recommend strong beans. Examples of these are:

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