pommard 慢飛

In a snub to the Starbucks-driven craze for loading gallons of hot frothy coffee-flavoured liquid into cardboard pots, Italy's National Institute for Italian Espresso is defending the traditional squirt of steamed milk over a shot of espresso that is knocked back by millions of Italians every morning at zinc-topped bars up and down the country.

The institute has already given a government-backed certification to the perfect espresso coffee and yesterday the organisation's president, Marco Paladini, stood up for the beleaguered cappuccino, promising "to protect this important expression of our national gastronomic culture... A great success abroad, but not always made with adequate sensory quality", the newspaper Il Giornale quoted him as saying.

More froth than liquid, the Italian cappuccino can be swallowed in seconds, and according to purists should leave a smear of milk on the inside of the cup. Stirring the beverage to mix the milk with the coffee that lurks in the bottom should not produce an overall brown colour, but streaks of coffee in the pure white foam. A white moustache is de rigueur after drinking.

According to many Italians, the light brown colour is similar to that of the robes worn by Italy's Capuchin monks, hence the name, while others credit Capuchin monk Marco D'Aviano with the invention of the drink, after he discovered a sack of coffee captured from the Ottomans during the battle of Vienna in 1683. D'Aviano was beatified in 2003 for his missionary work and miraculous power of healing.

There is no debate over when a cappuccino is drunk. Italians line up every morning in bars before steaming, shiny coffee machines to gulp down their coffee, possibly returning for a another cappuccino after a late night. One allowed variant is the caffelatte, usually served in a tall glass, with extra milk added.

Only tourists take a cappuccino or caffelatte after lunch, as Italians believe the milk plays havoc with digestion.

Nescafé may be making inroads in Italy through advertising of its instant granules, but Starbucks and other global coffee chains have yet to set foot in the bel paese. And if they did, they might find their margins shrinking. An average cappuccino, drunk standing up at a bar in Rome, costs around 78 pence, an espresso 47 pence - although prices may rise by 100% if the drinker takes a seat and waits to be served.

Italians are very proud of their traditional coffee, and even have a National Institute for Italian Espresso. Use the following recipe to make your own perfect cup.

Ingredients

125ml milk, no warmer than 3-5C, containing a minimum of 3.2% protein and 3.5% fat

25ml shot of hot espresso coffee

Directions

Add coffee to a 150-160ml capacity ceramic cup

Froth milk with steam to a temperature of 55C, and add to cup

Add sugar and stir gently