Marocchino

Marocchino, which is occasionally known as vetrino, is an Italian coffee variety that originated in Piedmont. It consists of a shot of espresso that is sprinkled with cocoa and then topped with frothed milk. Usually, the milk is then also dusted with cocoa powder.

The origin of marocchino is associated with the Carpano Bar in Alessandria. It was invented during the first half of the twentieth century, and its inventors modeled it on bicerin—an espresso that is layered with hot chocolate and then topped with whipped cream.

It is often said that the name marrocchino, which translates as Moroccan, was given due to the brownish color of the coffee—which was reminiscent of an eponymous type of fine leather that was popular in the 1930s.