What is a cappuccino?
One of the most pleasing words to say or hear, and one of the most pleasing drinks to taste…..You know, it’s a cappuccino!!! It’s the power of 3, put into one. Wondering what we are talking about? Well, 3 refers to the 3 parts that build a cappuccino, which is brewed espresso, steamed milk, and foam, where the ratio is equal. Or sometimes, in a few countries/places, more quantity of steamed milk and foam will be used, thereby decreasing the quantity of espresso in the cup. There are other variants too which we’ll be discussing in the variants section. If you ask about their placement in the cup, then it goes like this. At the base sits espresso, above it is steamed milk, and topping it off is the creamy foam.
A macchiato has a strong coffee flavor, whereas a latte has a less intense coffee flavor, and is milky. If you see how a cappuccino compares with these two, then cappuccino will be placed in between the macchiato and the latte. It’s neither too strong as a macchiato nor as mild as a latte. Absolutely balanced!
It’s great for people who prefer a slightly strong coffee flavor. Another thing, it’s not just valued for its flavor, but is also valued for its frothy texture. Frothy texture is obtained by steaming and foaming milk. It’s kinda light and fluffy when compared to a latte or a macchiato etc due to the higher quantity of foam in it.
About the roasts, well…dark or medium dark is a go-to roast for a cappuccino. And if you’re wondering if there is a possibility of making it with other coffee roasts too and what do they taste like, checkout this coffee roast blog.
Size of a cappuccino
In cafes, a standard cappuccino comes in about 5-6 ounces cup (150-180 ml). It has equal parts of a single shot of espresso,steamed milk and foam. If you want a bigger sized cappuccino, then go for it… It’ll be made with a double shot of espresso, and proportionally increased steamed milk, and foam. Same taste, same ingredients, same everything, but in a bigger cup!
Origins of cappuccino and reason for its popularity
Well, this one has a fascinating origin story and is also explained a bit elaborately in a seperate blog post on our website. If your someone who’s into food origins and history, this article will be just wonderful for you.
How to make a cappuccino?
If this question is in your mind, then you can just jump over to this link where all the steps are explained. It’s quite a lengthy process, and thereby this too is explained in a seperate blog.
Cappuccino made in Italy vs the US
Now here comes the difference regarding the ratio of various parts of a cappuccino. It’s said that a drink made from 100 ml of milk (whipped with steam) and 25 ml of espresso is what an Italian cappuccino is (as per Italian espresso Institute). On the other hand, a cappuccino in the US is made with a (1 all) 1:1:1 ratio of espresso, steamed milk and foam. So the US styled cappuccino has a stronger coffee flavor when compared to an Italian one. Different people, different choices, but the majoritiest (we wish there was a word like this) ratio to make a cappuccino is 1:1:1 all around the globe.
Another difference is that Italian cappuccino has white foam at the top, kinda looking like a small dome. And encircling it or surrounding it is the brown colored ring (due to mixing of espresso and milk). Ok, so what about the US one? Here you go, the US styled cappuccino has the top of the foamy layer, level with the cup’s rim…and it comes with latte art in many coffee shops (few don’t prefer latte art). Anyways, both have to be stirred and drunk, so just chill about the looks, what matters more is the difference in flavor, about which we’ve described in the previous paragraph.
Other variants from places all over the world
Now, regarding the variations in a cappuccino, other than the different ratios of milk and espresso which we’ve already described above, there are other types too.
Let’s begin with the addition of spices. Cappuccino is added with spices, in a few parts of the world. If you’re to visit Arab countries, don’t forget to taste cappuccino with clove and cardamom added to it, found in quite a number of places. Whereas in some European countries, cinnamon is added to cappuccino, which is preferred by many drinkers.
There are a few regions in the world where cappuccino is still prepared like a kapuziner, using regular black coffee (no espresso machine used) with cream, sugar and other spices etc. Vienna in particular, as well as other parts of Austria, and few regions of Europe follow this way. In a few espresso bars in a few of these places, both Cappuccino and Kapuziner are present, they’re been offered to the customers for quite a long time (from 1950’s approx). Wiener Melange is a drink of choice in the traditional coffee shops of Vienna. It’s made up of the same 3 ingredients as that of a modern cappuccino, that’s espresso, steamed milk and foam. But here, either a lighter roast is used or a lesser quantity of espresso is taken, in order to build a cappuccino.
Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer and a major consumer, has its own take on the cappuccino. It comes with the addition of cocoa powder, and also with a dash of cinnamon. This is Brazilian cappuccino! There are small variations within that too.
Next one in our list is French vanilla cappuccino. As we all know, one of the most popular flavors that goes with coffee is vanilla. Just by adding vanilla extract to milk and preparing it according to the exact recipe, followed by pouring it over an espresso base, and topping it off with cinnamon, what you get is a French vanilla Cappuccino.
Another flavored cappuccino that draws attention, is the mocha cappuccino. It’s made by blending chocolate syrup, maybe a bit of chocolate chips with the regular cappuccino. Result is a choco flavored cappuccino!
Thinking about caramel…..Here it is. Caramel Cappuccino! As the name suggests, Caramel syrup is added to a cappuccino, and you’re in for a treat! A bit of salt pairs with it really well.
Freddo cappuccino
It’s so hot, I want something cold, milky and frothy. Is that you?….Then, welcome freddo cappuccino!!! Social Media had gone crazy about this drink, and why not, it falls on the similar lines of Dalgona coffee which had brewed up a storm as whipped coffee during the pandemic. Even this drink is frothy, along with being icy, and is overall a chilled out milky frothy coffee drink. To know more about this, pay a visit to its country of origin. So, which is it?? Suspense, suspense… or else check it out here in which freddo cappuccino is described along with freddo espresso, and what makes them the stars in their country of origin.
Wet vs dry cappuccino
The size of the drink, and the quantity of espresso remains the same whether you’re going in for a wet or a dry cappuccino. What changes is the ratio of steamed milk and foam.
In the case of a wet cappuccino, you might’ve guessed, as the name suggests, that it has more steamed milk than foam. It has a milkier (diluted) coffee flavor, and is less frothy.
Now when it comes to a dry cappuccino, then it’s the other way around. It has less steamed milk and more foam. Thereby the drink’s gonna be more frothy than a regular cappuccino and has a pronounced coffee flavor.
That’s not completely over. If you wanna explore this category much more, then there are 2 more variants which are unknown to most people. One is bone dry and the other one is super wet.
Bone dry cappuccino doesn’t have steamed milk, but it has a pillow of foam floating on top of an espresso shot. When mixed, it’s a very frothy drink, having a punchy coffee flavor… similar to a macchiato.
Super wet cappuccino is made in a totally opposite way. Here, no foam, only steamed milk above an espresso! Thereby the final drink is not frothy, instead its milky, and comes close in flavor and texture to flat whites and lattes.
Does cappuccino have caffeine?
Yes, of course cappuccino has caffeine, as coffee beans are used to prepare espresso. And everyone knows that coffee beans have caffeine. So how much caffeine is present in a standard cup of cappuccino generally? Well, it’s around 65 mg in a standard cappuccino, which has one shot of espresso. There are variants in the size of the drink and other things, but we’re stating the norms here, not the exceptions. There is one more factor, and that is decaf. If decaffeinated coffee beans are used to make a cappuccino, then there’ll be almost no caffeine in it. (Why we said almost here is because 2 to 3% caffeine will be present even in decaf coffee).