A cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink which is traditionally prepared with espresso, hot milk and steamed milk foam.Cream may be used instead of milk and is often topped with cinnamon. It is typically smaller in volume than a caffe latte, with a thicker layer of micro foam.
The name comes from the Capuchin friars, referring to the colour of their habits, and in this context referring to the colour of the beverage when milk is added in small portion to dark, brewed coffee (today mostly espresso). The physical appearance of a modern cappuccino with espresso créma and steamed milk is a result of a long evolution of the drink.
Cappuccino is a coffee drink which today is composed of espresso and hot milk, with the surface topped with foamed milk. Cappuccinos are most often prepared with an espresso machine. The espresso is poured into the bottom of the cup, followed by a similar amount of hot milk, which is prepared by heating and texturing the milk using the espresso machine steam wand. The top third of the drink consists of milk foam; this foam can be decorated with artistic drawings made with the same milk, called latte art.
The use of fresh milk in coffee in cafés and restaurants is a newer phenomenon (from the 20th century) when fridges became common. The use of full cream is known much further back in time (but not in the use as whipped cream [chantilly] ), as this was a product more easily stored and frequently used also in cooking and baking. Thus, a 'Kapuziner' was prepared with a very small amount of cream to get the 'capuchin' colour. Today, 'Kapuziner' is still served in viennese traditional cafés: still black coffee with only a few drops of cream (in some establishments developed into a capå of whipped cream, but that's another story).
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