A great milk foam makes the cappuccino or latte macchiato twice as delicious! You always look forward to a beautiful motif made of milk foam on the coffee you order, don’t you? Whether the classic heart on the cappuccino or a fern leaf on the milk coffee – the sweet and creative motifs are usually too good to destroy with the first sip of coffee. It’s just the little things that make our coffee enjoyment perfect.
The term latte art is composed of the Italian word latte (milk) and the English expression art (art). Latte art is the art of conjuring graphic motifs from milk foam onto the surface of coffee drinks. They are usually created by a professional barista by skilfully pouring the milk and using tools such as templates or a milk jug. Leaves, flowers or hearts are always a sure sign that your barista has made the coffee with passion.
This is how latte art works – coffee enjoyment and heavenly reputation
Latte art artists paint their pictures on the coffee surface and decorate it with unique motifs. The painting material is the milk: This is first frothed perfectly, and then skilfully poured into the coffee using a specific technique. This method creates the coffee pictures that are beautiful for us and leave a lot of room for creativity.
In recent years, milk art on coffee has become increasingly popular. There are now international barista championships, where baristi are awarded for their creations in the art of milk foam.
Your latte art at home
Try the beautiful milk froth art in your own cup. Only a few pieces of equipment are required for perfect latte art: a coffee maker for the base, a milk frother, a milk jug and of course a nice big cup so that the drawn pattern comes into its own. However, the ideal consistency of the milk froth needs to be learned – it must be creamy and thick, but not too firm.
The correct filling technique is also decisive for the beautiful art of the cup, because the milk froth has to go directly under the coffee crema in order to form a pattern. A practiced swing and even movements are already half the battle. But don’t despair if a heart doesn’t form in the first cup. As always, practice makes perfect!
