Isn’t it a great surprise when you go to a coffee shop, order a latte, and find that the drink has been served to you with a beautiful creation on the surface?
This technique is known as “latte art,” when coffee makers and baristas use their artistic skills to guide the steamed milk contained in the beverage to make a type of drawing on the top layer of the drink that is served.
While the coffee drink named in the this art form is latte, latte art techniques can also be applied to making other hot drinks that contain milk. For example, many baristas also make latte art with flat whites, hot chocolates, and cappuccinos.
To make latte art, it’s essential for the hot drink and the steamed milk to be in the correct temperature and consistency. The milk should be between 140 and 180 degrees and the coffee or hot drink should be fresh and hot.
One of the keys of the art is to also use a commercial wand heater for the milk. This allows the “microfoam” to form, and this ends up becoming the base of the layer in which latte art can be created.
The final touch is to use stencils or free-hand to create beautiful latte art designs. Creativity is the name of the game!
