The Cappuccino

Cappuccinos have been a popular and delicious coffee beverage for only about a century now. Its short life has not made its origins any clearer, with Austrian and Italian drinks springing up around the same time with the same recipe.

Sometimes people think the first cappuccino recipe was Kapunizer Kaffee, a sweet coffee with milk and whipped cream, in Vienna. Extra ingredients were often added. The Italian espresso machine gave rise to the definition of cappuccino coffee we think of today: a brown espresso with steamed and frothed milk.

While who invented cappuccino may be discussed, its name comes from Italy based on two theories. In the first, the Capuchin order of friars in Italy dressed in brown hoods with similar colors to the Viennese and Italian coffee drinks gaining popularity at the time.

With the second, its name origin is explained with etymology. Cappucio means hood and ino is a diminutive suffix making words cutesy. So, with Italian consideration, the cappuccino’s definition is translated to ‘little hood’ in an endearing context.

Origins aside, the standard cappuccino recipe is equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam, but varies today because of other customizations like cup or drink size.