The history of Coffee, from Espresso to Cappuccino, from Ethiopia to Venice, Italy
La Tazza di Caffè Gloriosa
Written by in September of 2012, by Cara Harpole,
Who could have imagined, a tiny red bean first discovered in Ethiopia well over a millennium, would one day become the main ingredient in the world's most popular beverage? Coffee is called by various names: Joe, Java, Mocha (Yemen), Café, mud and many more. Without the discovery of coffee there would be no Cappuccino. We thank the Italians for their creativity and ingenuity. They created espresso, which lead to the glorious cup of Cappuccino. The journey of Coffee out side of Ethiopia has to be told. The coffee bean traveled all over the Ottoman Empire, first through Arabia, North African, Turkey and later to Venice, Italy.
Coffee went through a cultural experimental metamorphosis in its journey through the Muslim world in the Middle East. The Turkish Ottomans had access to those parts of the world through their vast empire. They incorporated coffee drinking into their culture and pioneered a style of coffee making that spilled over in Ottoman territories and parts of Europe.
The first coffee house in Europe (outside of the Ottoman Empire) was established in Venice, Italy in the 17th century. The Italians were early innovators in the science of coffee making and the European culture of coffee drinking. They were the first to add froth from steamed milk to coffee.
The Italians also borrowed the Turkish technique of coffee making which could be thought of as the precursor to espresso. It consists of boiling water and sugar in a ibrik (small copper, silver, brass or gold plated pot with a long handle), then later removing the unit from the heat and adding coffee. The ibrik would be again placed on the heat until the coffee boiled. It was poured in a decorative demitasse cup. This technique created a thin layer of foam on the top of the coffee reminiscent of today’s espresso.
Turkish coffee remained dormant, creating a long-standing culturally identifiable creation. The Italians, on the other hand, were ever-changing, creative, technical marvels. Through the test of time, their inventions morphed into new and improved creations. Take espresso for instance. This technique of coffee making became the base for the creation of Cappuccino.
Cappuccino in its modern form was not complete until Angelo Moriondo 1884 obtained the patent for the “steam-powered coffee machine.” It was improved by Milanese Luigi Bezzera and patented on April 28, 1903. He invented a single-shot espresso machine, which allowed the brewed coffee to pour directly into the cup. The Italians did not stop there. Desiderio Pavoni took the espresso machine to the next level by making more improvements. He created a vertical machine that used a boiler, which had the capacity to kept constant pressure. It was powered by electricity. His product was the first espresso coffee machine to be marketed.
Many do not realize that there is science behind the whole process of making cappuccino. First, the espresso machine brews coffee in a unique way, that only can be used in authentic cappuccino. Pressurized steam forces water through a press, which is filled with finely ground coffee. This produces coffee that is thicker, stronger and velvety.
Previous inventions failed to make consistent, quality coffee. Because of the lack of control from the heat elements in the earlier models, the espresso was over heated and became bitter. Constant improvements needed to be to resolve the issues of time.
Fresh quality coffee, temperature, properly frothed milk and the right texture are all very important elements in the making of quality Cappuccino. It is important to use chilled milk in the frothing process (steamed milk). The pitcher should not be filled to more than half its size with milk. The steam nozzle should be placed slightly below the milk in the metal pitcher at a ~10 degree angle. Positioning the pitcher in such a way allows the milk to spin like a world-pool as it doubles in volume. If the positioning of the nozzle is incorrect, the milk will form loud bubbles causing the milk to contain too much air. The end result will be milk with out the correct consistency.
It has been advised to cut the steam 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit before the desired temperature has been reached (to allow the temperature gauge to catch up). It is crucial that the milk isn’t overheated. If so, it will scalded or scorched deeming it unacceptable for completing the process of preparing a cup of cappuccino.
There are different types of cappuccino. A dry, or cappuccino scuro has less milk and usually only a little foam. Alternatively, a wet, or cappuccino chiaro is made with extra foam. Many coffee houses, fast food restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores offering cappuccino make the huge mistake of adding too much milk to the espresso turning the drink into a latte. This has become a norm amongst consumers who do not know the difference between an authentic, glorious cup of cappuccino or a caffè latte. A trained barrister not only gets it right every time, but also adds a lot of pizzazz by creating what is known as “latte art.”
Latte art is an added bonus to any cup of cappuccino, adding what people in Louisiana call “Lagniappe.” Latte art is created by pouring the silky, creamy, steamed milk into the cup containing the shot of espresso. The milk is poured in such a way, that a design is formed through the contrast of the dark coffee and the white milk. Hearts, tulips, rosette, and geometric patterns are some examples of popular latte art designs. Giorgio Milos, the Italian Master Barista (Illy Coffee) stated in a demonstration that it takes one gallon of milk to practice this art style.
The world owes a debt to Angelo Moriondo, Milanese Luigi Bezzera and Desiderio Pavoni who pioneered the development of coffee making machines. A cup of cappuccino would not have been the same without their ingenuity.
Photo credits:
Famous Victoria Arduino Poster, by Leonetto Cappiello
Source: Public Domain in the U.S. | Internationally in 2013
L. Bezzera Single-shot Espresso Machine
Source: Public Domain
Source: Early Espresso Machine
Source: wikipedia, public domain
