You have probably already seen the amazing things that an artist can do to a cup of coffee and asked yourself what is that art called. The art of drawing on a cup of coffee is named latte art and the person who does that is called a barista. There are two ways in which latte art is made. By pouring milk into a cup espresso or as it is also called “free pouring” or by using a stick called “etching”. However free pouring is more spread to the wide public, but it cannot create complex forms while the etching results in more precise forms or shapes and an experienced barista can create miracles with a stick. Of course if you want to produce good latte art you will need an experienced barista and an espresso machine of the highest quality.
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.
The quality of the latte art depends on the espresso itself. The espresso is bound to have a cream surface which is usually called crema. After the espresso is prepared the barista starts to pour milk into the cup and as the foam and crema react a pattern starts to be seen on top of the crema. However you need a very steady hand to be able to create delicate figures. Of course pouring milk cannot create delicate forms, so for more complex patterns you will need a barista specialized in etching. The use of the stick is much harder, but results in much clearer and more beautiful forms.
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.
Latte art is a beautiful way to change the way your beverage looks like. Despite the fact that you can order a specially drawn espresso you can also learn the latte art yourself just by practicing or visiting special classes. And the best part of latte art is that you can learn it in your home just by practicing on your morning coffee without having to buy any extra stuff, but however the mixture between ordinary coffee and foam will result in more translucent forms, but still visible.
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 exellent latte art how to.