Wander into any cafe in Italy after the clock strikes noon to order a cappuccino and you might find a few confused looks on the waiters faces. No, you haven’t broken the law or offended anybody but there’s every chance they’re worried about your tummy. 

You see, after 11am or noon in Italy, to drink as much milk as you find in a cappuccino would be considered overkill. Before noon, a dairy-heavy coffee is seen as a sort of substitute for a substantial meal. The Continental breakfast isn’t just for your roadside motel. In countries like France, Italy and Spain, breakfast is less baked beans and sausages and more a croissant and a latte. 

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The milk and bubbles from the froth act as part of your caloric fuel for the morning before you slide on into lunch time. Which obviously gives way to riposo/siesta/dejeuner or whatever afternoon break floats your boat. 

Many Italians also turn down the dairy after midday because they feel that too much milk on either side of proper meals can upset digestion and cause sluggishness, hence the espresso after lunch or as a pick-me-up before dinner.

If you simply can’t give up the milk for your arvo coffee, opt instead for a macchiato (espresso with a small dollop of steamed milk) or a cortado (a half espresso, half steamed milk coffee).

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