You're drinking coffee wrong - Italians wince as Brits fail to follow important rule

Italians take coffee very seriously and there are certain rules about ordering and drinking the beverage in Italian shops and bars that not all Brits follow

Italians after finding out Brits have been drinking coffee all wrong after failing to follow one crucial rule.

People in Italy take coffee very seriously and there are certain rules about ordering and drinking coffee in Italian shops and bars that not all Brits follow.

Brits love a cappuccino and will order them at any time of the day, especially after dinner, where a coffee will be consumed with a dessert. However, if you order a cappuccino after 11am in Italy, your barista won't be happy.

This is due to the coffee being considered a morning drink, as cappuccinos are made with equal parts of espresso, steamed milk, and foam. They are normally drunk with a sweet pastry or croissant as they complement each other very well for a sweet breakfast.

So when Brits ask for a cappuccino after 11am, it is something Italians will not be best pleased with, as that time just before midday it is considered more appropriate to switch to a stronger, richer coffee such as a macchiato or an espresso. These drinks are meant to be savored as they do not contain any added milk or sugar.

Although there is no law banning cappuccinos in Italy after 11am, you won't find many Italians drinking them after breakfast. Most Italians avoid cappuccinos after lunch as a half a cup of milk and coffee after a full meal does not sit well. “It has to do with milk being really hard to digest even in the best of times,” said Elizabeth Minchilli, a Rome-based food writer. "It’s good for a filling first meal of the day — “but after a big meal,” Minchilli said, “a glass of warm milk is antithetical."

Furthermore, the reason behind Italians having a sweet breakfast instead of bacon and eggs is because meat used to be a rare luxury and would have been saved for a main meal in the evening. “Historically, Italy was very agricultural and very poor,” said Italian food historian Francine Segan. “People consumed leftovers for breakfast, and that was usually some hard bread soaked in the morning milk.”

It comes as Cardiff residents were named as the biggest coffee drinkers in the UK, typically gulping down more than three cups a day, totalling over 20 cups each week, according to a new survey.

In Wales, instant coffee reigned supreme, while Liverpudlians had a penchant for cappuccinos - the top pick among all those surveyed. Meanwhile, Londoners showed a preference for lattes.

A spokesperson for Alpro Barista, which is set to dish out complimentary coffees in Manchester and London on the 28th-29th September and 5th-6th October, commented: "It's fascinating to see the variety of coffee preferences across different cities."

"And it was particularly interesting to see the cappuccino come out on top as the favourite beating the classics like a flat white and a latte."