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Do you want an authentic cappuccino to pull flowers? Introduction to how to make Italian Coffee Cappuccino

Published: 2026-04-06 Author:

Last Updated: 2026/04/06, Cappuccino, a milk coffee that has been included in the menu by countless cafes. With the development of coffee culture and trends around the world, the definition of cappuccino has been changing, and the appearance of this classic cup of coffee has changed intuitively. How was the ancient cappuccino born? In fact, it is very difficult to find out who sent it.

Cappuccino, a milk coffee that has been included in the menu by countless cafes. With the development of coffee culture and trends around the world, the definition of cappuccino has been changing, and the appearance of this classic cup of coffee has changed intuitively.

How was the ancient cappuccino born? In fact, it's hard to figure out who invented the cappuccino, but looking at the data shows that the word "Cappuccino" comes from "Kapuziner", which means "monk" in German and also refers to an old-fashioned coffee.

According to legend, this drink originated in the Viennese Cafe in the 18th century. At that time, coffee was drunk with powder and water, and for better taste, a Polish named Kulczycki used a cloth bag to filter out the coffee grounds, then put it in a glass and added honey, spices and cream. It not only makes the coffee taste better, but also shows a special reddish brown, visually similar to the color of the monks of Order of Capuchin Friars Minor, so the Viennese call it "Kapuziner".

As it was introduced into Italy and with the development of pressurized coffee machine technology, Italians began to switch to espresso, sending foamy milk instead of cream, and then using spoons to shape the milk on the surface of the coffee into a pointed cap. Gradually, it also has its own Italian name, which is what we know as Cappuccino. In addition, it is said that it actually comes from the word "Capuchin". As for its "predecessor" Kapuziner, people are more accustomed to calling it Vienna Coffee (Viennese Coffee).

What does the old-school cappuccino look like?

The most popular theory about the production of cappuccino is that the proportion of coffee, milk and milk foam is 1:1:1. Take, for example, a coffee cup with a capacity of 6 ounces (about 177ml), that is, double Espresso (60ml), hot milk (60ml), and the remaining foam. The thickness of the foam made in this way is almost 2.5cm, the first two mouthfuls are almost all foam, and the bottom coffee flavor will be very strong.

In those days before the emergence of steam sticks, to get milk foam can only rely on manual handling, and the foam is relatively rough. At that time, the cappuccino was made by putting the thick bubbles into the cup with a spoon until the cup was 11 minutes full, and a small white pointed hat would be brought out of the foam layer of the spoon. At this time, the milk foam is in the form of protein cream, which is very stable, but it does not blend well with coffee.

The Golden Circle of Cappuccino

With the advent of more stressful espresso machines, the use of steam to pass away the foam has also evolved. The steam stick can not only produce dense and full foam, improve a lot of efficiency for production, but also avoid the step of spoon scraping milk bubbles. This is why the cappuccino was replaced by a smooth, protruding round "drum bag" instead of a "pointed hat".

Since then, small cups, protruding foam, strong smell of coffee, and the thick and dense feeling of thick foam have become the hallmarks of cappuccino. But it is precisely because such a thick foam layer reduces the fluidity of steamed milk, making it difficult to make a flower pattern as gorgeous as a latte, so some baristas use central injection to gently drop the foam into the Espresso, thus forming the iconic "golden circle".

The art of flower drawing makes the foam of cappuccino thinner.

Nowadays, with the popularity of flower drawing art, baristas want to outline a beautiful pattern on every cup of milk coffee, and cappuccino is no exception. In order to show a simple pattern decoration, baristas will consciously take in less air when passing away the foam, thinning the foam to improve its fluidity. In addition, considering that it is easy to leak if the cup is too full, some coffee shops that provide takeout will deliberately reduce the bulging effect of the full cup of milk foam, thus reducing the form of holding up to 11 minutes.

Of course, Qianjie believes that the so-called classic cappuccino does not mean unconditionally restoring the ancient formula. In fact, with the change of coffee bean quality, roasting degree, extraction equipment, popular taste and other factors, cappuccino has been changing with the trend. But if these changes are divorced from the characteristics of "small cups, 11 cents full, strong coffee flavor, and the full texture of thick milk foam", it may no longer be a cappuccino.

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