What is an Australian Cappuccino?

Most coffee shops have the same array of drinks on their menus, but every once in a while you’ll probably see something that looks a little bit unfamiliar. These mystery drinks are usually regional specialties (unless they’re unique to that cafe only and they just have unusual naming practices) and they’re usually worth trying to get the flavor of something a little different. The Australian Cappuccino is one of these drinks – although if you’re in Australia, it’s likely to appear on the menu as simply a cappuccino.

The Australian Cappuccino is a somewhat milky cappuccino where the espresso is dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder before the milk is added. The cocoa powder adds a hint of color to the latte art on top of the mug and throws a faint cocoa note in to the drink. It is very subtle, but it’s a great addition to the coffee drink. Some cafes will dust the cappuccino with cocoa powder after the milk is poured, but that really just hides any latte/cappuccino art that the barista was able to create and isn’t the ideal way of finishing the drink. Not many places in the US make it, but when it is on the menu I will usually order one straight away. It’s delicious and a good change of pace from the usual cappuccinos.