Cappuccino

Cappuccino is an Italian beverage, prepared with espresso and milk. A cappuccino is generally defined as 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 frothed milk. Another definition would call for 1/3 espresso and 2/3 microfoam. A cappuccino differs from a latte macchiato, which is mostly milk and little foam. (A "dry cappuccino" has less milk.)

Related Topics:
Italian - Beverage - Espresso - Milk - Microfoam - Latte macchiato

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In Italy it is consumed almost exclusively early in the day for breakfast; in some other countries it may be consumed throughout the day or after dinner.

Related Topics:
Breakfast - Dinner

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Besides a quality shot of espresso, the most important element in preparing a cappuccino is the texture and temperature of the milk. When a well-trained barista steams the milk for a cappuccino, he or she should create "microfoam" by introducing very tiny bubbles of air into the milk. This gives the milk an extremely velvety texture and sweet taste.

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A cappuccino is ideally prepared in a ceramic coffee cup, which has far better heat retention characteristics than glass or paper.

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In some places, skilled baristas create latte art when pouring properly steamed milk into the espresso, making designs such as apples, hearts, leaves and rosettes.

Related Topics:
Barista - Latte art - Rosette

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Cappuccino was a taste largely confined to Europe and a few of the more cosmopolitan cities of North America until the mid-1990s when cappuccino was made much more widely available to North Americans, as part of the new upscale coffee bar chains with a consciously "European" air (notably Starbucks). By the first years of the 21st century a modified version of cappuccino was being served by McDonald's.

Related Topics:
Europe - North America - 1990s - Starbucks - McDonald's

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The widespread acceptance in the U.S. of what was once regarded as a taste of coastal urbanites and older Italian-Americans has led to many establishments, such as convenience stores offering what they represent as cappuccino to their patrons. However, that product is usually an ersatz cappuccino, produced by machines similar to those that mix cocoa drinks where all the buyer need do is touch a button and position the cup properly. The drink that comes out is usually produced either from a preproduced mix or double-brewed coffee and bears little relation to the real thing.

Related Topics:
Italian-Americans - Convenience stores - Cocoa

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Similar products result from home use of store-bought mixes usually advertised, more accurately, as producing "frothed coffee."

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