When & When Not to Drink Cappuccino

Cappuccino, a "coffee-based drink made with espresso, hot milk, and milk foam", is a staple in Italy (1). However, you will almost never see an Italian drinking it after 11 am, only tourists.

This is because Italians feel that the milk in the cappuccino makes it much too heavy to be had any later in the day. They also never order one after a meal because the milk is much to filling. It makes the perfect beverage for breakfast because it is heavy enough to keep one full but not too filling to make one feel ill in the morning.

Although in America it is common to order a cappuccino after a nice meal, you will never see this done by an Italian. Cappuccinos in America are also much larger than the cappuccinos in Italy.

[1] "Cappuccino." Wikipedia. 3 June 2008. 9 Jun 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappuccino.