Italian woman explains why you should never drink a cappuccino after lunch

‘My cup, my rules,’ says one critic

Need a pick-me-up after lunch? An Italian woman has argued that there’s one coffee choice you should avoid.

Italian social media entertainer, The Pasta Queen, has advised her followers to stop ordering a cappuccino in the middle of the day. The popular foodie, whose real name is Nadia Caterina Munno, took to social media to explain why most Italians don’t drink the hot beverage past noon. In her video, an individual behind the camera asked Munno if she would like a cappuccino, to which she firmly replied: “No.”

“Why do Italians not drink cappuccinos past 12?” she rhetorically asked. Then, she slammed her hand down on the counter before answering: “Because it’s a breakfast drink.” But that’s not the only reason why.

Munno explained how coffee has the ability to “awaken your senses”, which is why cappucinos should only be consumed before 10 in the morning. “If you really want to push it till 11, but not 12,” she added. Munno also said that consuming a copious amount of food in the middle of the day shouldn’t be washed down with a cappuccino, because there’s already “enough going on”.

While after lunch may not be the proper time to drink a cappuccino, other coffee options are not off the table. Munno suggested an espresso for the perfect energy boost, but regular drip coffee works fine, too.

“When you’re eating a meal, you have enough going on with all those calories and cheeses,” she remarked. “All you need is a quick espresso.”

The passionate pasta lover pointed out how drinking a cappuccino would elicit the same reaction from Italians that Americans would display if someone chose to eat a hot dog for breakfast.

Thousands of her 2.2m followers flooded the comments with their food etiquette suggestions. Some admitted they had tried to order a cappuccino in Italy, but their server refused to give them one. Other individuals refuted Munno’s message, adding that they also ate hot dogs for breakfast.

“The delicious thing to do in Italy is let them believe they can control your food. Then drink and eat what you want, where you want, and when you want,” one critic commented, while another added: “I’ll drink my cappuccino when I want. To me, it’s like a dessert.”

“Filipino here with our hot dogs with garlic rice and egg,” a viewer wrote.

Meanwhile, another skeptic said: “If it is in my cup, I can drink at 8 pm too. 3 am too. My cup, my rules.”

One experienced asserted: “I can vouch for this... I am Italian and know of this ‘rule’ yet it did not phase me… I still ordered my cappuccinos in the afternoon and watched several natives enjoying one as well.”

“It’s just steamed milk with espresso? Not sure what the big deal is? I say drink what you want, when you want. Respectfully,” she continued, while another Instagram user agreed: “I’m Italian and I love drinking cappuccino in the afternoon.”

The Independent has reached out to Munno for a comment.