National Cappuccino Day

The story

The cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink made from espresso, steamed milk, and a thick cap of milk foam. Its name is usually traced to the Capuchin friars, whose brown hooded robes matched the color of coffee lightened with milk. Coffee houses in 18th-century Vienna served a "Kapuziner," coffee with cream and sugar, and the modern version took shape in Italy in the early 1900s, after the espresso machine was invented.

The drink became widespread in Italy after World War II, when improved machines made it possible to steam milk into a fine, velvety foam. Italians traditionally drink cappuccino only in the morning, often with a cornetto, and rarely after a meal.

In the United States, the cappuccino spread with the coffeehouse boom of the 1980s and 1990s and is now a staple of cafés everywhere. Baristas often finish it with latte art or a dusting of cocoa or cinnamon. A "dry" cappuccino has more foam, while a "wet" one has more steamed milk.

On National Cappuccino Day, treat yourself to one at your favorite café, or try steaming and frothing milk at home to make your own.