Espresso Machines

Cappuccino is an italian drink  prepared with espresso, hot milk and steamed-milk foam. A cappuccino differs from a caffe’ latte in that it is prepared with much less steamed or textured milk than the caffe’ latte with the total of espresso and milk/foam making up between approximately 150 ml and 180 ml (5 and 6 fluid ounces). A cappuccino is traditionally served in a porcelain cup, which has far better heat-retention characteristics than glass or paper. The foam on top of the cappuccino acts as an insulator and helps retain the heat of the liquid, allowing it to stay hotter longer.

Cappuccino takes its name from the order of Franciscan Minor friars, named “Cappuccini” from their custom of wearing a hood with their habit (“cappuccio” means hood in Italian-cappuccino is a diminutive form). However, the colour of the drink is quite a different shade to the colour of the Capuchin habit; the reason why this name was used is unknown. The espresso machine  used to make cappuccino was invented in Italy, with the first patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera in 1901.

The beverage was used in Italy by the early 1900s, and grew in popularity as the large espresso coffee machines in cafés and restaurants were improved during and after World War II . The cappuccino had developed into its current form by the 1950s.

There is no historical basis for the recent urban legend according to which the drink was supposedly named after the Blessed Marco d’Aviano, a Capuchin friar and charismatic preacher who inspired the resistance to the Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683. The story gained some unwarranted credibility in 2003, when it was good-naturedly reported by the BBC World Service at the time of d’Aviano’s beatification.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia