Beautiful patterns and perfect symmetry. Deep colour contrast and soft foam without visible bubbles. Yes, we are talking about latte art – professional barista art.
How and where was latte art born?
Nobody knows exactly where it all started. However, what can be said for sure is that the origin of latte art is closely related to the history of espresso. Perhaps that is why the Italians like to appropriate the authorship of latte art. Nevertheless, since the origination of espresso coffee machines and the beginnings of milk frothing with a nozzle, it has been a jump to latte art.
The creator of the first latte art was allegedly Lino Meiorin – an Italian professional barista and co-owner of The Caffé Mediterraneum in Berkeley, California. He offered traditional cappuccino in his café, but since his customers were not used to the strong taste of Italian coffee, they repeatedly asked him for more milk. And so a new drink was created: café latte. It is said that Lino used to create pictures into coffee surface as early as the 1950s, and from there the technique later began to spread.
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However, according to American coffee branch, David Schomer, who started to foam the milk in so called microfoam in his cafe Espresso Vivace in Seattle, is considered a father of this technique. At the end of the 1980s, Schomer started to experiment with various shapes and figures, until in 1989 he came up with a heart pattern and later, in 1992, again with a rosette. After perfecting his techniques, Schomer opened a course called Caffe latte art, and this art of coffee has started to spread gradually from Seattle to the rest of the United States and later to the world.
What is behind the perfect latte art?
Latte art is a technique of professional baristas who use frothed milk to create various shapes on the surface of coffee. The patterns are formed on the surface of the drink due to the contrast that naturally arises between the deep red-brown colour of the espresso cream and the white milk foam. Latte art in translation means milk art, so it is an artistic way of preparing and serving coffee.
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In order for a barista to be able to create truly symmetrical images, he must literally have several hundred cappuccinos experience. The basis of beautiful latte art is not only a properly prepared espresso with a thick and dark cream, but also beautifully whipped milk without large bubbles. Equally important is the shape and size of the cup – it is easier to paint in wide cups and there is also room for larger and more complicated patterns.
It’s all about milk
Probably the most difficult part of preparing latte art is whipping milk. Several factors are important when whipping milk: the nozzle of the coffee machine, its tip, performance and subsequent immersion, as well as the correct angle of inclination of the kettle and its holding. The performance of the coffee machine nozzle is affected by the temperature and the associated pressure – the ideal pressure for whipping milk is 1.0 to 1.1 bar.
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For latte art, well-chilled – even at 4°C – whole milk is recommended. The colder the milk, the better it can be whipped and the nicer and softer the foam. Today, there are already various plant alternatives to milk on the market, which, thanks to the high proportion of protein, can also be beautifully whipped and used for latte art. A properly prepared milk microfoam should have a creamy consistency and a temperature of about 60°C. The finer and creamier the microfoam, the easier it will be to paint with it.
The technique of pouring frothed milk and milk foam into espresso without the use of tools other than a jug is called free pour. This is the most widely used technique, which is based on the movement of the wrist, which forms specific patterns. However, there is also the so-called etching technique using special skewers. By soaking them in a dark crema of espresso or, on the contrary, milk foam, various details or even whole patterns are completed on the surface of the cappuccino.
„I like rosette in latte art the most, because you can draw it in several ways and you can always play beautifully with it.“
barista Majo
Less common, but very simple techniques include topping with icing or drawing with the help of templates. Barristers most often use caramel or chocolate icing, with which they draw various cobwebs, flowers or spirals on the surface of milk foam. Ideal are milk-based toppings that do not disturb the structure of the milk foam and can keep the image pretty compact. The second mentioned method is also very simple – just hold the selected template over the milk foam and dust with cocoa. In some cafes they also use cinnamon, which we do not recommend, as its distinctive taste overwhelms any taste of coffee.
Latte art is art without borders
There are countless patterns in latte art. Literally anything can serve as a theme for latte art, and an experienced barista can draw you a cappuccino from various geometric patterns through flowers to animals or 3D images. Beautiful samples of latte art can be found in the gallery:
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Did you get a taste for a good coffee while reading this blog? Jump to our coffee shop, you will definitely find your favourite one in it.
