jackleo
Today it is difficult to imagine a cappuccino or latte without a picture, even the simplest and most unpretentious. For baristas around the world, it has become a matter of principle to learn how to pour frothed milk into espresso in such a way as to turn a cup of delicious drink into a work of art. Thanks to training centers and courses, latte art has taken a separate place in the coffee industry. Annual championships make this trend more and more popular, raising the bar for the quality of work and skill of baristas to a new level.
History of latte art
Latte art – (from Italian Latte art – “milk” + “art” ) – is a special way of pouring frothed milk into espresso. Hearts, tulips, rosettes, the use of dyes – all these are components of one incredibly interesting trend. And where, if not in Italy , the birthplace of the espresso machine and cappuccino, could the first drawing have appeared?
It is now impossible to know who was the first barista to decorate coffee with a drawing, but it certainly impressed everyone without exception. It was so new, interesting and unusual that the spread of latte art beyond Italy was a matter of time. The main driver of the popularization of drawings on the surface of coffee was the author of the book “Espresso Coffee. A Guide for Professionals” and the founder of “Espresso Vivace” David Schomer . Having written many articles and created his own barista school, where a certain place was occupied by the creation of drawings on coffee in various ways, Schomer gave a strong impetus not only to latte art, but also to the development of coffee culture in general. Thanks to him, coffee is now drawn on in many countries.
During the latte art’s journey around the world, the technique has improved, baristas have delved into the process, studied the chemical changes in milk when interacting with espresso. Every year, professionals complicate the designs, adding new elements, and, competing, prove who is the best. Anyone, with a little effort, imagination and desire, can learn to decorate coffee to please themselves and their guests. After all, the work of a barista is not only high-quality execution of menu items, but also positive emotions, a good mood and a smile of the guest, which is the main motivator and quality mark for a coffee shop.
Main directions
There are two main directions of latte art – “pitching“ and “etching“ .
Pitching or freepour is the most popular way to paint on coffee. The design is created by pouring frothed milk into a cup of espresso using a pitcher.
Etching – drawing on the surface of coffee using additional objects (toothpick, latte art pan, etc.)
Both of these areas are equally important and are equally valued by judges at latte art championships. The main and basic elements, whether pitching or etching, are the heart, rosette and apple. By combining them together and using their imagination, baristas create truly mesmerizing pictures.
Just a drawing?
Does the design on the coffee give anything other than aesthetic pleasure or is it just a design? Does its quality and complexity affect the perception of coffee as a whole? The debate among baristas about the importance of latte art is quite lively. On one side, “latte art is not important, the main thing is the taste” , and on the other, “beautiful is delicious” . There are no right and wrong here. Why can’t it be both delicious and beautiful?
Based on our experience, we can say that just by looking at the picture you can find out how well and correctly the milk is frothed, how well the espresso recipe is set up, how professional and passionate the barista is. For example, problems with milk will appear on both the dark and white parts of the picture. This is especially true for the white part, while problems with espresso will only be noticeable on the dark part.
The first impression sets the tone for the overall perception, because we always “meet by clothes”. In the modern, actively competing world of coffee shops, the visual component of the drink plays a huge role. Social networks (especially Instagram) are a promotion tool and a way to attract and interest new guests. And latte art is a great helper in this. A beautiful contrasting pattern subconsciously adds loyalty points even to the taste of the drink. Provided that this is really high-quality latte art. Let’s give you an example: which of the two cups do you want to try? Which one are you more confident in the good quality? Without a doubt, the one that arouses interest and attracts attention.
What about the taste itself?
Can a pattern on a cup affect the taste of coffee ? Definitely can. And what’s most interesting is that with the same amount and ratio (espresso-milk-foam), coffee without a pattern will taste more balanced than the same coffee with a pattern. Latte art has quite a strong effect on the taste of the first sip. The larger the area of the pattern on the surface of the coffee, the milkier it feels. A pattern like “heart” demonstrates this perfectly. Its size is easy to control by adjusting and playing with the balance of the first sip.
And of course, we shouldn’t forget about the subjectivity of taste. Our brain is capable of producing truly inexplicable things, our taste can change simply depending on our mood. And even a definitely not tasty cappuccino with a mood-lifting beautiful picture will seem to you the best of all that you have tried.
Do you need latte art?
It’s up to you. In our opinion, the taste of drinks is a big, but still only part of the matter. Giving positive emotions, seeing the guest smile and come back again and again – this is a combination of factors, which includes latte art as an important direction in the development and improvement of the quality of the coffee shop.
