What's the Difference Between Cappuccino and Latte? What's the Milk to Coffee Ratio in a Cappuccino?

The Origin of Cappuccino

When the pressure coffee machine was first invented, the emergence of steam functionality allowed people to heat milk while creating dense foam. The moment dense foam was poured over coffee, due to its appearance and color being too similar to Catholic robes, people named this coffee "Cappuccino." And this is one of the widely circulated birth stories of cappuccino.

Dry vs. Wet Cappuccino

Unlike latte or flat white, cappuccino has less milk added, making the coffee flavor stronger, which has made it a favorite for many friends. But just yesterday, a customer at FrontStreet Coffee's store made a rather special request when ordering a cappuccino: if possible, he didn't want a "wet" cappuccino, but a "dry" cappuccino with a golden circle.

Everyone should be familiar with the "golden circle" - it's that special appearance created with foam and coffee. But cappuccinos also come in "dry" and "wet" versions... this is quite puzzling! But don't worry, today FrontStreet Coffee will share the differences between these two versions of cappuccino! And how to create that golden circle on a cappuccino~

The Evolution of Cappuccino

Do cappuccinos really come in "dry" and "wet" varieties? Some time ago, FrontStreet Coffee shared content about the early version of cappuccino making, which mentioned that early cappuccinos not only needed to be filled to 11/10 full but also required a coffee golden circle. However, with the birth of latte art, to add patterns that enhance the visual experience of coffee, most coffee shops chose to reduce the foam thickness of cappuccinos to gain the fluidity needed for creating coffee latte art.

This has made it difficult to find cappuccinos with golden circles and overflowing to 11/10 full in today's coffee shops. But note, not all! Many coffee shops still maintain the traditional cappuccino method - perhaps without the golden circle, but definitely with overflowing foam. The "dry" and "wet" cappuccinos mentioned earlier refer to these two different versions. The so-called "dry" cappuccino refers to the traditional version with very thick foam. For the same cup size, when the foam is thicker, the liquid milk volume is smaller. Because foam takes up space in the cup, and the amount of espresso is fixed. So when the foam thickness of a coffee increases, the amount of milk is correspondingly reduced.

The "wet" cappuccino, on the other hand, refers to the current mainstream version: with latte art and foam that isn't as thick. For the same cup size, due to the reduced foam thickness, more space is freed up. And because the espresso volume is fixed, the amount of milk is increased. Compared to the former, this cappuccino has more moisture content, hence the "dry" and "wet" distinction. It might sound peculiar, but that's the logic behind it. In previous articles, many friends privately messaged FrontStreet Coffee asking how to create the "golden circle" on a cappuccino, so FrontStreet Coffee will take this opportunity to share how to make a cappuccino golden circle!

How to Create a Cappuccino Golden Circle

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned at the beginning, the cappuccino's golden circle is mainly composed of espresso and foam. The outer circle's color comes from espresso, while the inner circle is filled with foam. There aren't any difficult points in making it, so FrontStreet Coffee will demonstrate it practically now! First, let's extract the espresso. FrontStreet Coffee uses 20g of coffee grounds to extract 40ml of coffee liquid in 32 seconds. While extracting, we'll prepare the foam! Since we don't need latte art, we can make the foam as thick as possible. After frothing is complete, pour the espresso into a prepared coffee cup.

Then take out a prepared spoon, scoop a spoonful of foam, and place it in the center of the coffee.

How many scoops you need will require your own judgment, but the goal is to fill the center with foam to create a circle. Then we shake the latte art pitcher to re-mix the foam and milk in the pitcher, then pour it into the center of the cup.

Because the surface is all foam, we don't need to worry about coffee overflowing - pour confidently! Stop when it reaches 11/10 full!

The Final Experience

And with that, a cappuccino with a golden circle is complete! One sip allows you to taste the different flavors of milk foam and coffee foam simultaneously, and if you take a larger sip, you can also taste the coffee itself. The layers and experience are completely maximized. However, it's worth mentioning that when making the golden circle, we should try not to fill the center circle too fully. Because when the middle circle is overfilled, the outer espresso ring will shrink, making it look very much like a fried egg. Therefore, the cappuccino's golden circle is often jokingly called -- the "fried egg."

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473