Why Italians Scoff At The Idea Of An Afternoon Cappuccino

Beyond favoring espresso over coffee and eschewing the idea of taking coffee to-go, Italian culture has developed some more rules around its caffeine consumption.

One of these rules is to avoid ordering a cappuccino after breakfast, and certainly not later than noon. This is because the milk in a cappuccino is thought to hinder digestion.

Italians view dairy as something that slows down digestion. This makes cappuccinos particularly appealing in the morning when Italians typically enjoy only a light breakfast.

The milk in a cappuccino mitigates the strong acidity of drinking espresso on an empty stomach and provides a bit of extra energy from its fat content.

However, it’s not considered desirable in the afternoon and evening, when larger, more substantial meals are common. You can opt for a macchiato instead.