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What is Cappuccino?
Author: Jennifer Harris
What is cappuccino? Many people confuse this
coffee drink with a caffe latte, another form of Italian coffee found at most
coffee houses in America. The main difference between the two is that a caffe
latte has twice the amount of milk (usually whole milk, but one can order it
with 2 percent or even skim) and no milk foam.
The milk foam that floats on top of a cappuccino is what distinguishes it from
most other coffee drinks, in fact. Served traditionally in a porcelain cup, the
foam acts as an insulator and keeps the drink hotter longer. Additionally, the
porcelain acts as another heat retainer. Paper and glass cups tend to allow the
heat to seep out faster.
A cappuccino starts out with a shot of espresso. The barista then steams the
milk, which is the second most important ingredient. If the texture and
temperature of the milk is wrong, the drink won't be as good as it should be.
When the milk is properly steamed, it will be velvety and sweet. The barista
will then float one centimeter of the foamed milk on top of the espresso. If one
prefers their cappuccino to have more or less milk, the order would be for a wet
or dry cappuccino, respectively.
Until the mid 1990s, Americans didn't really enjoy cappuccino. Whether it was
because people didn't know what the drink was or because it wasn't quite cool
enough to drink isn't known. However, when upscale coffee houses started
sprouting up en masse, more and more people began ordering the beverage.
Traditionally, cappuccinos in Italy are served with breakfast. Typically
speaking, Italians exclusively drink them in the morning, although in other
countries it is customary to drink them after dinner. Hopefully, now that you've
learned the question to "what is cappuccino", you'll be able to impress your
friends with the new found knowledge.
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