MICHELLE AND JANELLE SNADER,
MANAGERS OF LANCASTER’S CHARMING
CAFE ONE EIGHT, SHARE TIPS ON...
LATTE ART
How does the barista actually create that beautiful art on top
of your latte? Good latte art is a combination between quality
espresso, perfectly steamed milk and proper pouring technique.
One of the most important parts of pouring latte art is the
consistency of your milk. When you steam milk for an espresso
drink you are injecting air into the milk, causing the milk to
expand and create a creamy micro foam. However, your milk
can’t be too thick and foamy or else it will simply float on top of
the espresso. On the other hand, if it isn’t thick enough you won’t
be left with enough micro foam to form your art. Ultimately,
you want a smooth, velvety finish to your milk, something that
looks like wet paint.
GIVE IT A TRY!
Latte art adds a beautiful finish to a delicious
drink. Here are 3 basic designs to get you started:
HEART
a simple yet
charming
pattern for
beginners.
TULIP
a beautiful
combination of
the heart and
rosetta pattern.
ROSETTA
a classic latte
design that
looks like a
fern.
THE TECHNIQUE
This is the basic explanation of how to create your own latte
art! Prepare the espresso in your coffee cup. Tilt the cup and
pour milk from a pitcher into the middle of the espresso. When
the cup is about three-quarters full, bring your pitcher close.
This will cause foam to rise to the top and you should see
something that looks like a half-moon form. Gently shake your
pitcher back and forth to create your pattern, pull your pitcher
up, then cut through the center. Voila! The technique of latte
art may look complicated at first, but like learning any new
art, practice makes perfect!
photography pp. 50-51 by Lyndsi Stoltzfus
51