One of the most consumed hot drinks in the world is coffee. You probably drank it yourself a lot in your life. Especially chains like Starbucks or cozy coffee bars made the drink very popular.
For over centuries, people drank a wide variety of coffees. Think about an espresso, a latte or…a cappuccino!
But did you ever think about the origin of the name cappuccino, while sipping it in the morning (coffee lovers will ONLY drink it in the morning)? Because this type of coffee has an interesting history, origin story and meaning behind it.
I’ve read about the origin and the meaning of the cappuccino name, so read further if you want quick summary of the most important historical information about this coffee type.
What is a cappuccino?
A cappuccino is not a very strong type of coffee, like an espresso can be. That’s because a properly made cappuccino is mixed with milk and milk foam. More in detail, this type of coffee exists of 1/3 coffee, 1/3 milk and 1/3 milk foam.
Coffee buffs only drink it during breakfast, mostly accompanied by something sweet, like a sweet croissant. Although almost every bar, restaurant or coffee bar also serves it in the afternoon and even during the evening, for real coffee lovers the only time to drink a cappuccino is during the morning. Just so you know if you want to look like a coffee connaisseur!
Origin and meaning of the cappuccino name: history
The origin of the cappuccino name is closely related to its meaning. And I can also tell you this: it has a historical meaning.
These days, Italy is seen as the coffee country of the world. But we can also see a lot of coffee consumption, coffee houses and coffee varieties since at least the 18th century. Where? In Austria, and especially in its cultural developed capital Vienna. The city where, next to coffee, we also see a love for chocolate, like the famous Mozartkugeln I talked about in another article.
During those days, customers would order the coffee of their likings by describing it by its color. A black pure coffee, or a brown one, mixed with coffee. And this is where the the origin of the cappuccino and its special name starts.
Cappuccino: named after monks
In early days, people would order a brown coffee, where the coffee was mixed with milk. They would call it a Kapuziner Kaffee (a Kapuziner coffee). And it’s the word Kapuziner that gives away the origin and meaning of the cappuccino name.
Because the cappuccino is indeed called after monks. The Capuchin monks, or Capuchin friars, more specifically. These Capuchin friars were a part of the Fransiscan friars and were established at the end of the 15th – start of the 16th century. With the permission of the Pope, they travelled throughout the whole of western Europe to spread the Catholic faith, in a fight against protestantism.
But why is the cappuccino named after these monks? Well, the origin of the cappuccino named is actually not a referral to the friars themselves, but to their habits. The Capuchin friars wore brown habits. So if a customer wanted a brown (coffee with milk) coffee, they would actually order a coffee with enough milk to make it as dark brown as the habit of a Capuchin friar.
So that is the origin, but what is the meaning of the cappuccino name? Well, like I already said, Italy id the country of coffee. And they perfectionated the Kapuziner Kaffee into the cappuccino we know nowadays. And guess what, the italian word capuccio means…habit! So the meaning of the cappuccino name is actually the Capuchin habit!
Conclusion: origin and meaning of the cappuccino name
Now, as a conclusion, I must say that the story of the cappuccino named after monks is…a story. One that is well accepted to be the origin and the meaning of the cappuccino name. But keep in mind it’s not a historical proven fact.
Source and further read:
Wikipedia cappuccino
Wikipedia Capuchin friars
Vocabularist
Pexels
