It’s the age-old question no one realised we needed answered: should cappuccino chocolate be sprinkled on top, or mixed through?
That’s the topic at the centre of a heated debate sparked by two TikTokers whose clips about “chocless” cappuccinos have gone viral.
The first clip shows two friends sitting in a cafe, staring suspiciously at each of their cappuccinos.
Instead of the dusting of cocoa powder on top that they had expected, the chocolate had already been blended through the beverage, which is a common technique used by many baristas.
@hozb24 It’s not a cappuccino unless it’s covered in chocolate 🍫
♬ original sound - Holli B-McAuliffe
“What do we do?” one friend asked as they looked at their coffees in disappointment.
In the end, they flagged the waiter down, apologised for “being annoying” and asked for more chocolate.
He obliged, returning moments later with the chocolate shaker so the women could dust their coffees to their liking.
“This saga continues,” the caption read. “PSA to all the Sydney cafes: please add choc to all cappuccinos so we can stop embarrassing ourselves”.
The follow-up video showed a similar scenario at a different cafe.
Pointing at her cup, one of the women sighed: “I woke up way too early to not have chocolate”.
But this time, the waiter took the drinks away and brought them back with a generous serving of chocolate on top.
“It’s not a cappuccino unless it’s covered in chocolate,” the caption declared.
And if the comments are anything to go by, Sydney isn’t alone in its love for chocolate-drenched caps.
“So valid,” one viewer wrote.
“100 per cent agree with this,” another chimed in. “If I order a cap, I want the chocolate flavour at the start of the sip, not mixed in”.
“I always ask for extra choc. If it’s not smothered, it’s unacceptable,” said someone else.
However, not everyone sided with the chocoholics.
“All the baristas across Australia’s heart just broke,” one joked, while another defended the cafe art, saying: “It’s so it makes the art prettier!”
But for choc lovers, there was no compromise.
“I don’t care about the art,” one person declared. “Give me the chocolate on top”.
So, what’s really the ‘right’ way?
To get to the bottom of this, news.com.au spoke with Juliano Medaglia from Meidy’s Cafe in Bondi, who says there is a reason cafes mix in the chocolate.
“Mixing chocolate or cocoa powder before pouring the brewed coffee shot enables the chocolate to be evenly distributed, enriching the entire drink rather than just the surface,” the barista, who takes his coffee very seriously and uses only the best beans from Sydney roaster Piazza D’Oro, said.
Still, both versions stray from the drink’s origins.
“The traditional cappuccino from Italy is just espresso, steamed milk and foam,” he said. “But over time, people have added a little sweetness by applying a minimal chocolate dusting on top. With that in mind, adding chocolate is untraditional in any way to a cappuccino.”
His advice to people is to just be upfront about their preferences when ordering.
“When I am serving cappuccinos, I prefer when customers ask for chocolate on top when placing their order,” he said. “We are very flexible and want to make your coffee in your preferred way so you can enjoy your coffee exactly how you want!”
In Italy, the cappuccino has always been simple, one part espresso, one part steamed milk, one part foam. No chocolate.
Its name comes from the Capuchin friars, a Catholic religious order famous for their long brown robes, because their outfits resemble the espresso-and-milk colour.
When coffee culture arrived in Australia, it was adapted to the sweeter tastes of local palates.
A light cocoa dusting softened the espresso’s bitterness but also made the foam look more appealing and indulgent.
Over time, the sprinkle on top became something that Aussies came to expect.
In European countries, a traditional cappuccino does not usually come with chocolate powder on top. If it does, it’s very lightly sprinkled on, almost like a garnish.
Meanwhile, other countries like the United States also tend to add chocolate powder.
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