Latte his essay "Italian Journeys". Kenneth Davids maintains that "...breakfast drinks of this kind have existed in Europe for generations, but the (commercial) caffè version of this drink is an American invention". The French term "café au lait" was used in cafés in several countries in western continental Europe from 1900 onward, while the French themselves started using the term "café crème" for coffee with milk or cream. The Austrian-Hungarian empire (Central Europe) had its own terminology for the coffees being served in coffee houses, while in German homes it was still called "Milchkaffee". The Italians used the term "caffè latte"
Caffè crema Caffè crema Caffè crema (Italian: "cream coffee") refers to two different coffee drinks: As a colorful term it generally means "espresso", while in technical discussions, referring to the long drink, it may more narrowly be referred to as "Swiss" caffè crema. In addition, there's also Italian iced crema caffè. Variant terms include "crema caffè" and the hyperforeignism "café crema" – "café" is French, while "caffè" and "crema" are Italian, thus "café crema" mixes French and Italian. "Caffè crema", and the English calque "cream coffee", was the original term for modern espresso, produced by hot water under pressure, coined in 1948