Capuchin (pronounced kap-yoo-chin or kap-yoo-shin)
(1) A notable agile, forest-dwelling Central and South
American monkey (Cebus capucinus), having a prehensile tail and a cowl of thick
hair atop the head, vaguely resembling a monk’s hood.
(2) Any monkey of the genus Cebus (the term ring-tailed
monkey is also sometimes used and the Sapajus apella is known as the tufted
capuchin.)
(3) A style of hooded cloak historically worn by women.
(4) A friar belonging to a strict and autonomous branch
of the Franciscan (Friars Minor), casual use extending later to Franciscans and
eventually to cowled monks generally.
(5) Among bird-watchers, A hooded pigeon.
1590–1600: From the Middle French, from the Italian cappuccino, the construct being capuche (a long, pointed hood worn by
monks in many Roman Catholic monastic orders) + -in(o). Capuchin was an Italian borrowing of the Middle
French capuchin (Capuchin friar) (from
the earlier from earlier capucin),
from the Italian cappuccino (Capuchin
friar (literally “a small capuchin)), from cappuccio
(hood, cowl), from the Late Latin cappa
(cape, hood); synecdochally it was used also to refer to members of orders of
Roman Catholic friars generally. The
Italian suffix -ino was from the
Latin -īnus, from the primitive
Indo-European -inos and was comparable
with the English -ine. It was a noun-forming
suffix used (1) to form diminutives, (2) to indicate a profession, (3) to
indicate an ethnic or geographical origin & (4) to denote a device, tool or
instrument; as an adjective-forming suffix it was used (1) to indicate an
ethnic or geographical origin & (2) to denote composition, color or other
physical qualities. Capuchin & capuchiness are nouns; the noun plural is
capuchins.
Lindsay Lohan in black capuchin, Los Angeles, October 2011.
The hooded habits worn by friars and nuns of the Capuchin
order were a distinctive reddish-brown and in seventeenth century Europe capuchin
was a common description of the hue.
According to histories published by the order, the robes were inspired
by the vestments actually worn by Saint Francis of Assisi (circa 1180-1226) in
the thirteenth century, some of which were preserved in the Abby to which his
remains were taken. Saint Francis actually
wore robes which were uncolored but, apparently for no reason other than
product differentiation, the Capuchins colored their fabric lest they be
confused with friars of other Church orders (the Benedictines, Augustinians, Franciscans
etc).
The Colombian white faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus).
The style of prepared coffee called cappuccino (pronounced kap-oo-chee-noh, kah-poo-chee-noh or (in Italian) kahp-poot-chee-naw) consists of an espresso base topped with foamed milk, often served with powdered cinnamon and (sometimes) whipped cream. The color contrast between the foam and cinnamon makes designs possible and some baristas make these their signatures. Although it appears in Italian documents from the nineteenth century, the word seems first to have achieved wider popularity in the immediate post-war years (1645-1948). It was adopted originally because the color of the foam-cinnamon mix was fancied as having a resemblance to the color of a Capuchin habit. In a trend which has shocked purists, there have long been those who prefer powdered chocolate to cinnamon.
Lindsay Lohan with a brace of takeaway cappuccinos, Los Angeles, January 2008.
Whether the cappuccino really was “invented” by an Italian
Franciscan after the 1683 Battle of Vienna (when the armies assembled by the
Holy Roman Empire turned away the Ottomans besieging the gates of the city,
thereby saving Europe from the threat of Islamic conquest) is unknown and
likely a myth but it remains a popular story and, unlike the similar
attribution of the aftermath of the battle being the birthplace of the
croissant, it’s never actually been disproved.
Historically, all agree the appearance of the cappuccino has changed
over the centuries and the extravagance of the froth is a recent innovation. The name certainly comes from the color of the
habits worn by “Capuchin” friars which so resembled the color the beverage assumed
when a small measure of milk was added to the almost black, brewed coffee and
it’s at least possible cinnamon was among the herbs sprinkled but there were
likely many tried. The modern cappuccino
with espresso créma and steamed milk is a twentieth century creation but
innovation has always surrounded the barista’s steam and in the late eighteenth
century, the Viennese used the German modification of the Italian cappuccino (Kapuziner) and, being Austrians, added whipped cream and spices
although some recipe books mention egg yolks as part of the concoction, sugar apparently
compulsory. As an Italian specialty (thought
to be an import from the Italian-speaking parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire barely
known outside the country or the parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) it
spread in the early years of the twentieth century as espresso machines suitable
for use in cafés entered volume production and prices fell but outside the
country it remained almost unknown until the 1930s and it was during the
post-war period when the combination of an influx of foreigners to Italy and the
mass-migration of Italians that the cappuccino became the latest of the nation’s
many cultural exports.
A classic cappuccino.
However, unlike the practices in many places, Italians
seldom took a cappuccino before ten or eleven in the morning, the cultural
tradition (said to date from Ancient Rome) being that milk ingested too early
in the day impedes the digestion of food for the rest of the day, thus the
Italian preference for an early espresso.
In places beyond, there was no such reluctance and in US cities (where
they’d been widely available in Italian restaurants since the 1930s) the
breakfast cappuccino became a bit of a cult among urban sophisticates and late
in the century as coffee chains became first national and then international, the
cappuccino went worldwide.
The cappuccino’s place in the milky ecosystem detailed by CoffeeHow. Sasha’s coffeehow.co is the web’s outstanding site for coffee fiends, being both comprehensive and accessible. If there’s anything to be known about coffee, Sasha’s site has an entry.
Making a cappuccino at home
Ingredients
1 oz dark roast ground coffee.
½ cup hot water.
¾ cup whole milk.
Sprinkle of powdered cinnamon.
Whipped cream & sugar (raw sugar or coffee crystals
are best) are optional, neither of which are recommended.)
Directions
(1) Place coffee grounds in French press and add the hot
water. Allow the mix to steep (the
process by which a porous solid absorbs a liquid) for 4 minutes, then push down
on plunger down and pour into a mug, ideally one with an outward curl to the
lip.
(2) While coffee is steeping, pour milk into a small pot
and heat to 140-150o F (60-65o C); ideally, use a thermometer
to test temperature.
(3) Pour hot milk into a large container (ideally one made
from stainless steel with handle & spout and conical so opening is somewhat
narrower than base) and with handheld frothing wand froth hot milk; this should
take some 3 minutes.
(4) Pour frothed milk into mug atop coffee and if foaming
has been done correctly it should be very foamy on top. The sugar can at this point be added but a
cappuccino is best enjoyed unsweetened. Sprinkle
with cinnamon and serve, if desired with whipped cream.
No comments:
Post a Comment