Though the word Cappuccino sounds like a take-off on the word coffeCappuccino’s origin: an ancient religious order? e, it actually derives from the Italian word capuchin which means ‘hood.’
Cappuccino means a small capuchin, or little hood. It refers to the color of the hooded robes worn by monks and nuns of the ancient Catholic Capuchin order.
Bonus fact 1: The Capuchin monks chose the distinctive robes, inspired by Francis of Assisi’s preserved vestments. Ironically, While Francis of Assisi humbly used uncolored and unbleached wool for his robes to draw as little attention as possible, the Capuchins colored their vestments to differ from Augustinians, Benedictines,
Bonus fact 2: The long and pointed hood was characteristic and soon gave the brothers the nickname ‘capuchins’ (hood-wearing)
Bonus fact 3: By the 17th century, ‘capuchin’ was used also as a term for a specific color.
Bonus fact 4: Latte art – a method of painting on coffee by pouring microfoam into a shot of espresso – was first introduced in the 1980′. Nowadays, there are competitions all over the world for coffee paintings in which coffee bartenders, called baristas, showcase their skills.