The Italians define what a cappucino is
Italians sure do take their espresso seriously. Thank goodness too, for imagine what the coffee giants of the world may do to it otherwise? The latest news from Italy is that the National Institute for Italian Espresso has officially declared what a cappucino is. No, it’s not what you order at Starbucks. A proper cappucino contains a 25ml shot of espresso in a 150-160ml capacity ceramic cup. Add to that 125ml of milk (containing a minimum of 3.2% protein and 3.5% fat) that has been frothed and steamed to a temperature of 55C. Lastly, add sugar and stir gently, though I imagine that last step could be modified to suit personal tastes. Now, I’m not quite sure how these numbers add up, for if you froth 125ml of milk you’ll end up with quite a bit more than that volume, and thus your 150ml cup will be too small! This will require some further investigation. Anyway, Italian culture dictates that cappucinos are typically enjoyed in the morning; drink one after lunch and the Italians will know you’re a tourist! You can read more about this over at The Guardian.
Add comment January 1st, 2007
Check out this great photo of a drop of milk falling into some coffee! Very impressive work, from someone identified as ‘IreneM’ over at 
