Latte art is basically the ability to draw on coffee or more specifically the most common coffee used for latte art – espresso, because of its density. The drawing happens in two ways. You can either pour milk in the cup of espresso thus creating a pattern form, special design or a portrait on the top espresso layer which is mainly foam. The other latte art style is named etching and it is done by using a plastic stick. However for a good latte art to be created you need a good espresso machine and a barista who knows what he is doing and possesses some talent. Latte art has been around us for centuries, but it has become more popular in the last years and you can even go to classes which educate you to be a barista. Barista is basically the formal name of the artist who creates the latte art.
Every country develops latte art in different speeds, but this happened after the creation of espresso and the progress of the micro foam. But the country which is taken for the birth place of latte art is Italy. Latte art is possible because of the mixture of two ingredients – the crema and the foam. The foam is basically milk which contains air allowing it to buff up. But however foam doesn’t last for long and quickly perishes so due to that latte art last only for minutes, but that is enough time for you to enjoy the marvelous creation that someone has created using crema and foam.
For latte art to be possible the espresso must have a cream like brown surface which is most commonly called crema for short. Afterwards the foam is poured into the cup and the foam from the milk rises to the surface thus creating a contrast between the colors of the espresso and the foam. From now on there are two ways to create latte art. Just by pouring the milk and moving the pitcher or by pouring it all and then using a stick to draw the pattern or form. The style which only consists of pouring is called “free pouring” and takes little time to create while the other style is called etching and using it you may have to wait a while for your beverage to be decorated, but the etching is much more precise and beautiful.
Due to the lack of precision when pouring milk you can only create simple shapes and forms like the most used ones which are hearts and various flowers. While if you use the etching technique you can even create portraits of people and objects. Of course to create such things you must be very experienced and well trained.
The best part of latte art is that you can practice it in your own home while drinking your morning coffee. You don’t need any special instruments and you can even use regular coffee instead of espresso. However the use of regular coffee will result in fader shapes and outlines, but the image will still be visible. And if you are really good and keen at latte art you can sign up for barista classes so that you can master each one of the styles of latte art.
Do you enjoy the latte?. Be sure to visit RateMyRosetta.com, a great source for latte art pictures of photos. Don’t miss the most excellent how to make latte art tutorial.
categories: coffee,espresso,latte art,art,caffine,cafe,art,visual arts
Tags: Art, cafe, caffine, coffee, espresso, latte art, photo, Visual Arts