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Is there a coffee drink more universally adored than cappuccino? Doubtful. With its rich, velvety espresso topped with soft, cloud-like milk foam, every sip feels like pure bliss. And it’s so beloved, in fact, that it even has its own holiday: November 8th, aka Cappuccino Day!
And yet, dare to order one after lunch, and you’ll be met with the look: the slight head tilt, the barely concealed smirk. A silent but clear message: Tourist. Will a barista revoke your right to caffeine? Will an angry nonna appear out of nowhere to scold you? No, but there’s a high chance you will be judged.
Cappuccio or cappuccino?
First thing first, in Italy, you’ll often hear us casually order a cappuccio instead of cappuccino, and in case you were wondering, no, this isn’t some secret, off-menu variation only true Italians know about. Cappuccio and Cappuccino are, in fact, the exact same thing.
Technically speaking, cappuccio means “hood” (think sweaters), “cap” (as in pens), and even a type of cabbage. But we use it also as a casual, alternative form of cappuccino. According to a particularly poetic user on WordReference, this use may come from the idea that the milk foam creates a little cappuccio (hood) over the coffee. I’d never thought about it that way before, and now I can’t unsee it!
Who invented the cappuccino?
Like all great things in history, the origins of cappuccino are wrapped in legend, but the most popular theory has to do with an Italian monk and an Austrian waiter who had an eye for color coordination.
Here’s what happened. Back in 1683, Pope Innocent XI sent the Capuchin monk Marco d’Aviano to Vienna to rally support against the Ottomans. At some point, between all the diplomatic negotiations, the friar found himself in a Viennese café, ordering coffee. One sip in—too strong. So, he asked for cream to soften the bitterness.
Upon witnessing the resulting light brown hue, the waiter allegedly exclaimed, Kapuziner! because the drink now matched the earthy brown robe of the Capuchin monk. And just like that, a coffee icon was born.
Fast forward to the years when northern Italy was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Kapuziner spread through the country. But let’s be clear—this early version was nothing like the foamy masterpiece we love today. It was just coffee with cream, much more similar to a caffelatte: zero froth and none of that aesthetically pleasing barista artistry.
It wasn’t until the late 1800s, when the first espresso machine was invented (shoutout to Angelo Moriondo), that cappuccino finally started resembling what we know and love. The ability to brew espresso under pressure led to a richer, creamier coffee base, and with the advent of steaming wands, frothy milk entered the scene. Since then, cappuccino has become an Italian cultural icon.
The “no cappuccino after 11 AM” rule
If you’ve read anything about Italian coffee culture, you’ve probably stumbled upon the sacred rule: Do not order cappuccino after 11 AM, or risk being marked as a clueless tourist for eternity.
Why? Well, for us Italians, cappuccino is typically a breakfast drink, not something you casually consume during your meals or afterward. It all has to do with milk. According to our nonnas, drinking milk during or after a meal is basically a crime against digestion, right up there with swimming too soon after eating. A cappuccino post-lunch? Nope, didn’t hear that! And pairing it with pasta? You might as well be ordering a pizza with pineapple! The only “acceptable” alternative to the cappuccino on these occasions is a caffè macchiato, since it contains only a few drops of milk.
This whole “no cappuccino after breakfast” pops up in travel blogs, guidebooks, and articles as if we would actually gasp in horror if you ordered a cappuccino after 11 AM. Well, guess what? Who cares! In fact, I’ve personally witnessed Italians drinking cappuccino at night. Yes, at night. Most recently, on a Saturday at the local McDonald’s, packed with groups of local teens. What were they sipping? No, not Coke. Cappuccinos!
So here’s my advice: drink your cappuccino any time you feel like it. Morning, noon, midnight—who cares? At the end of the day, if people in Genoa can dip focaccia into their cappuccinos without judgment, then why would anyone judge your late-night cup?
Some fun facts about cappuccino
Let’s start with a huge cup of cappuccino. Back in 2013, Milan broke a record for the largest cappuccino ever prepared: 4,250 liters (that’s over a thousand US gallons). A team of 33 baristas made this masterpiece, and yes, it got the official Guinness World Record stamp of approval.
Also, did you know cappuccino can actually be a canvas? It’s called latte art, and it involves creating some seriously impressive designs on the milk foam. The current world champion of this craft is Yi-Chen Xie from Taiwan, who’s said to have practiced on 10,000 cups in just three months! Meanwhile, Kazuki Yamamoto from Japan has become famous for his 3D designs that are so beautiful, you might hesitate to dip the teaspoon and stir your cappuccino.
Now, for those of you who love numbers, here’s an interesting fact: according to a research by Osservatorio Nazionale Federconsumatori, in 2024 Bolzano took the prize as the Italian city where cappuccinos are most expensive, coming in at €2.17 a cup. Meanwhile, in Catanzaro, a cappuccino will only set you back €1.28.
And finally, in the early 2000s, a musical titled Cappuccino Girls became the longest-running British musical outside of the West End. It told the story of three friends who meet at their local café to discuss life over, you guessed, cappuccino!
Rules of a great cappuccino
According to the National Institute of Italian Espresso, there are strict rules behind the classic Italian cappuccino: 25 ml of espresso and 100 ml of perfectly steamed milk, straight from the fridge (3-5°C). The milk is then heated to around 55°C, and the whole drink is poured into a cup that’s precisely 150-160 ml.
But these days, there are many variations of cappuccino. First, there’s the cappuccino chiaro, the light version with less espresso. Next, the cappuccino scuro, for those who need that extra espresso punch. And then there’s the cappuccino senza schiuma (literally, cappuccino without foam), where the foam is just a tiny bit and the rest of the milk is in liquid form.
Of course, in case you have dietary preferences or just fancy something different, there’s cappuccino with oat milk, soy milk, almond milk… you name it. As for the cappuccino freddo, we don’t really drink it in Italy. When we crave something cold, we go for a caffè freddo (iced coffee), often with a little splash of Baileys… yum!
Do you have any funny cappuccino story in Italy? Can’t wait to read you in the comments!
Ciao for now,
