Why Should Cappuccino Be Filled to 11 Parts Full? What is the Coffee Golden Circle? Does the 1:1:1 Ratio Refer to Milk, Foam, and Coffee?

The Enchanting Name and Story of Cappuccino

Among Italian coffees, the name "cappuccino" stands apart, exuding an exotic charm that captivates many newcomers to coffee culture. When stepping into a coffee shop, beginners often find themselves drawn to this distinctive name among unfamiliar menu options. However, this choice frequently leads to a bitter experience, leaving many wearing what might be called a "mask of suffering" from the intense flavor.

The Three Traditional Principles of Cappuccino Making

As we know, each coffee variety has its unique preparation method based on its characteristics, and cappuccino is no exception. Throughout history, three major principles for making cappuccino have been widely circulated: first, the preparation ratio should be 1:1:1; second, the cup should be filled to 11 parts full; third, the finished coffee should display a "golden ring."

Most people find these principles confusing. What does 1:1:1 mean? Why fill to 11 parts? What exactly is the golden ring? Such confusion is understandable, as cappuccino has undergone several transformations over its hundred-plus-year history. Among these three principles, only the 11-part fill has continued to this day. Nevertheless, each principle emerged with its own significance. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee today will share what these three major principles for making cappuccino mean and where they originated!

The Origins and Evolution of Cappuccino

Although cappuccino and latte belong to the same era of Italian milk coffees, a significant difference exists: cappuccino was born in Italy itself, making it an Italian milk coffee with "pure lineage," while latte is not! In fact, cappuccino existed in Italy even before the invention of the espresso machine. According to legend, it was originally composed of honey, spices, cream, and black coffee. Coffee formed the base, with cream crowning the top. Because it was served in a glass, the cream would leave significant white space, much like ice cream, and when topping it off, a small peak would be deliberately created for visual appeal.

Since the finished coffee's color was dominated by reddish-brown, combined with the small peak on top, it successfully reminded people of the robes worn by Capuchin friars. Thus, this coffee acquired the name "Cappuccino," derived from the religious garment name "Capuchin." Later, after the espresso machine was invented, this name was inherited by a new milk coffee based on espresso. And the famous three principles originated from cappuccino during that period!

Understanding the 1:1:1 Ratio

The so-called 1:1:1 refers to the material proportions for making cappuccino! They are: espresso, milk, and foam. Note that this refers not to weight ratios but to volume. It means that at that time, espresso, milk, and foam each occupied one-third of the cup. This proportion was quite reasonable for the time, as coffee machines had just been invented and didn't possess sufficient pressure for extraction. Therefore, increasing the liquid volume was necessary to extract all flavor compounds from the coffee. This is why the coffee liquid could occupy one-third of the cup.

This approach doesn't work well today! With 9-bar pressure as the standard, only about 40ml is needed to extract all compounds that previously required 60ml. Therefore, if we still make cappuccino using the original proportions, the resulting cup size would be very, very small, and due to the overly prominent coffee flavor, most people would find it unacceptable. Consequently, this method was not passed down through generations.

The 11-Part Full Tradition

Although coffee machines existed at that time, they didn't include steam wands. This meant foam could only be created manually. Anyone who has tried manually foaming cold milk knows that hand-made foam is very, very thick. This is because all milk in the foaming container gets turned into foam, rather than just the milk at the surface.

After foaming, people would use a spoon to scoop it out and place it on already mixed coffee. Following the original cappuccino preparation method, overflowing the cup to 11 parts full completed an Italian cappuccino. Since the manually created foam was quite stiff, it easily formed a small peak when leaving the spoon, just like the original version of cappuccino.

Although today's cappuccinos no longer have the small peak, the 11-part full tradition continues to this day. As for why the small peak was abandoned, this has much to do with the origin of the coffee's golden ring.

The Golden Ring Phenomenon

With technological advancement, coffee machines with milk heating capabilities were finally invented. New machines not only had more powerful pressure but also brought a convenient tool for heating milk: the steam wand.

The steam wand eliminated the need for separate equipment to heat milk or create foam, dramatically improving both efficiency and quality. Since foam was created simultaneously with milk, the resulting foam, while still thick, had better fluidity and a finer, more delicate texture overall. It was no longer as "hard and stiff" as cake cream like before, naturally no longer forming small peaks.

When this thick foam was poured into coffee, its low fluidity would push aside the oils on the coffee surface, occupying the center position. Then, because the边缘 espresso oils had a golden color and appeared as a circular ring under the foam's pressure, it looked like a golden circle. Thus, the name "coffee golden ring" was born.

Similarly, we rarely see this golden ring on today's cappuccinos for a simple reason: the birth of latte art. The emergence of latte art gave coffee a completely new appearance, and consumers were more willing to pay for coffees with distinctive visual effects. So not just for lattes, but to better attract customers, people also applied latte art to cappuccinos. However, the original cappuccino foam was simply too thick! It couldn't be poured, absolutely couldn't! Out of necessity, people had to reduce the foam thickness to create a foundation for latte art patterns.

From this, we can see that cappuccino as a product has continuously evolved and changed with the times. Although the classic is no longer the same as before, precisely because it hasn't remained eternal, it has survived to this day, being known and loved by us today. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee doesn't advocate unconditionally restoring traditional recipes according to the three principles to emphasize classic status. However, occasionally making a cup for oneself to experience the former face of coffee is quite pleasant.

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