1.
café au lait; coffee with hot milk
Strong coffee combined with an equal or larger amount of hot milk. In Japan it is a standard café and convenience-store offering and is sold both hot and chilled.
From French "café au lait." Distinguished from similar drinks mainly by the type of coffee base and the milk-to-coffee ratio.
Similar drinks
- カフェオレ: drip coffee + hot milk (roughly 1:1) — French style
- カフェラテ: espresso + steamed milk — Italian style; smaller, milkier than American latte
- カプチーノ: espresso + steamed milk + foam
- ミルクコーヒー: a generic term for coffee with milk; broader and less specific
Common collocations
Usage
In Japanese cafés, ordering simply "コーヒー" usually gets you black coffee; カフェオレ or カフェラテ must be specified if milk is wanted.