National Cappuccino Day on November 8th whips up a frothy, hot cup of cappuccino. It’s a perfect drink on a frosty morning, meeting with friends or just to enjoy a creamy cuppa.
Traditionally prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed milk foam, a cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink.
The word cappuccino comes from the Capuchin friars and is the diminutive form of cappuccio in Italian, meaning hood or something that covers the head. This popular coffee beverage got its name not from the hood on their habits but from the color of the hooded robes that the friars wore. (The Capuchin friars is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans.)
- In 1945 Achille Gaggia invented the modern espresso machine which further popularized the cappuccino.
- The Mid 1990s – Cappuccino was made more widely available to North Americans as upscale coffee houses sprang up.
- Late 1990′s to Early 2000′s – Cappuccinos became popular in the United States concurrent with the boom in the American coffee industry.
- The start of the 21st Century – A modified short-cut version of the cappuccino started being served at fast-food chains.
- While steaming the milk you must pay close attention to attain the correct ratio of foam, thus making the cappuccino one of the most difficult espresso-based beverages to make properly.
- A skilled barista may create artistic shapes while he/she is pouring milk on top of the espresso coffee.
NATIONAL CAPPUCCINO DAY TIMELINE
The earliest versions of cappuccino were recorded during the Battle of Vienna.
Luigi Bezzera of Milan patented the first espresso machine, though different than today’s espresso machines.
As we call it today, this drink was first documented in Italy as a coffee topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon or chocolate.
The first small cups appear alongside milk-steaming espresso machines.
As the coffee shop trend catches on, so does the love and consumption of cappuccinos.
