Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@the_pastaqueen
Topics: News, Travel, Food and Drink
Amelia Jones
It's pretty well-known that Italians take their food very seriously.
If you ever want to truly break their heart, then all you need to do is snap some spaghetti in half or put pineapple on your pizza.
And, whatever you do, don't even mention putting heavy cream in a carbonara.
But it seems that these strict rules also apply to their coffee as well - namely cappuccino.
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If you try ordering a cappuccino in Italy after a certain time, then you'll definitely receive some strange looks from the waiter.
But why is that?
Well, that's where the Pasta Queen herself, Nadia Munno, comes in to save the day.
Nadia came to her Instagram and TikTok to give a 'Pasta Queen Service Announcement', and implored her followers to 'share with someone who needs to hear this.'
Her video begins with her being asked if she'd like a cappuccino and her bemused response: "No, it's past 12!"
She then slams her hand onto the counter for emphasis, exclaiming: "It's a breakfast drink!
"It's coffee, it's frothed milk. It's good to awaken your senses before 10am - if you really want to push it, 11... but not after 12."
Nadia then goes on to explain why: "When you're eating a meal you've got enough going on with all of those great calories and those cheeses."
However, that's not to say that coffee after 12 is banned - as there is an exception.
"All you need is a quick espresso," Nadia added, grabbing a cup and pouring one out to demonstrate.
She goes on to try and put it into context for her American fans: "It's like an American having a hotdog for breakfast... I hope nobody has done that before."
Same here.
But it turns out it's all about digestion and the discomfort that can cause.
It’s estimated that roughly 80 percent of adults lack the enzyme that metabolizes milk and dairy.
In 2022, Dr. James Marion, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital told The Cut: “If someone has a big meal and then has whole milk, whether it’s in a cappuccino, which has a decent amount of milk, or a glass of milk, chances are they’re going to have some gas.
“Nobody is going to get malnourished or develop signs of maldigestion from having a cappuccino after dinner, but they might notice they don’t sleep as well, whether because of the caffeine, the milk, or the sugar, he said, or because of feeling bloated."
The more you know.