Cappuccino

Cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink made with steamed milk and a thick layer of milk foam on top. It is smaller than a caffè latte and uses macrofoam rather than microfoam. Variations can include cream instead of milk, non-dairy substitutes, or flavorings like cocoa powder (common in Europe and Australasia) or cinnamon (common in the United States and South Korea).

The drink’s name comes from the Capuchin friars, referencing the brown color of their robes. This color appears when a small amount of milk or cream is added to dark, brewed coffee (now mostly espresso). The modern look—with espresso crema and steamed milk—is the result of a long evolution.

The Viennese may have given the name *Kapuziner* in the 18th century to an early version with whipped cream and spices. Later, during Austrian rule in northern Italy, Italians adopted the term for both the drink and the friar’s habit. It is said to have been served in coffeehouses of Trieste and other Italian parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the early 1900s, spreading across Italy after World War I. However, a coffee-and-milk drink called *cappuccino* was already documented in central Italy in the 19th century.

A traditional cappuccino in Europe and artisan U.S. coffeehouses uses a single, double, or triple espresso shot and hot milk topped with foamed milk, with a total volume between 150 and 180 ml. U.S. commercial chains often serve it in larger sizes. In Italy, a cappuccino contains about 25 ml of espresso, with the rest of the cup split equally between milk and foam. It is served in a small handled cup (max 180 ml) with a thick foam layer, unlike a caffè latte, which is larger (200–300 ml) and uses microfoam in a glass.

Since 2000, the World Barista Championships require competitors to produce four cappuccinos per sensory judge. According to the rules, a cappuccino is a coffee-and-milk beverage with a balanced harmony of rich, sweet milk and espresso, made with one single espresso shot, textured milk (aerated to proper foam), at least 1 cm of foam depth, and a total volume between 150 and 180 ml.

The word *cappuccino* appears in Italian writings from the 19th century, described as black coffee with a few drops of milk or cream, giving it the color of a Capuchin tunic. The drink’s history traces back to European coffee consumption, which originally followed Ottoman methods of boiling coffee and water together. Adding milk to coffee was noted in Europe by the 1700s. The *Kapuziner* appeared on menus across the Habsburg monarchy around the late 1700s, named for the color of coffee with a few drops of cream, mimicking Capuchin robes. A similar drink with more cream was called *Franziskaner*, after the lighter brown Franciscan tunics. The use of fresh milk in cafés became common only in the 20th century with refrigeration, while full cream (but not whipped cream) was used earlier. Today, Viennese cafés still serve *Kapuziner* as black coffee with a few drops of cream or frothed milk. The modern Italian cappuccino evolved later, with steamed milk on top being a later addition. Espresso machines were introduced at the start of the 20th century.