Each era has its own distinctive features: somewhere great artists appear, somewhere legendary musicians glorify their name, and somewhere real professionals achieve their great results . The overseas word "barista" literally about 5 years ago was not yet known to a common man. And today he can show how to draw on coffee.
A bit about profession and art
In Italy, local residents created a separate coffee culture several centuries ago, but the profession itself - the coffee bartender - appeared relatively recently - about 50 years ago. Who is a barista? This is a professional coffee bartender who prepares all types of espresso, including lungo and ristretto, as well as all types of coffee drinks and cocktails (cappuccino, make-upto, latte and coretto).
How to draw on coffee? A professional barista will answer: "Very simple." The art of drawing on coffee has appeared recently, and in order to master it perfectly, it is not at all necessary to complete the courses of a professional bartender.
Professional requirements or what should a coffee bartender be able to do?
An interesting feature: in Italy, men most often become barists, since latte art requires the greatest skill, honed over the years, but in the domestic restaurant industry, ladies become decorators of coffee cups.
A coffee bartender is not just an attractive appearance and the ability to create unpretentious squiggles. The profession has special requirements that a real barista must fulfill:
- Thoroughly know the rules and techniques for making espresso, its varieties and coffee-based drinks.
- Well versed in coffee, methods of growing it, varieties and features of preparation.
- To perfectly master the gourmet instinct - to be able to determine the type of coffee from half a sip.
- To be able to prepare the most delicious coffee in the world, as well as draw unimaginable patterns and unsurpassed drawings on the foam.
To create a small masterpiece that will disappear with the first sip of the visitor, the master hones his art for hours or even weeks, tries, experiments and enjoys an amazing result. Understanding how to draw on coffee is not difficult. It is much more difficult to put theory into practice.
Master class from the real barista
Latte art - the art of creating drawings on coffee foam - requires a certain level of skill. Any beginner can draw a simple heart, but to create volumetric images or drawings with small details - this needs to be learned.
First of all, it is necessary to beat milk with quality and pour it into the espresso properly. The image itself is created in two ways:
- Normal drawing with a toothpick.
- Infusion of whipped milk in a special way.
In one case or another, a wide variety of patterns are created on the surface of the drink, from simple figurines to true masterpieces of coffee painting.
Technique for creating a picture
There are several of them, but to complete any of them you should know a few secrets that will achieve an excellent result. How to draw on coffee:
- You need to create a thick base for the image (cappuccino or espresso).
- Use cream with a high percentage of fat content. They should not be whipped for a long time - a slight thickening will suffice.
- Whipping cream is recommended in a special jug - pitcher. The device was created specifically for latte art and, thanks to its design features, allows you to create magnificent drawings.
- To achieve the best result, you need to sprinkle the surface of the drink with cocoa powder.
These small but very important secrets form the basis of coffee art. Everything else is craftsmanship honed over the years.
How to make drawings on coffee?
There are several basic techniques that are used to create original decorative elements on a coffee surface. These are the basics of art that even a novice barista can master.
- Pitching. This is the main and most complex drawing technique. To create it, a special pitcher of stainless steel is used. With it, you can draw a heart or “rosette” - this is the basis of latte art.
- Patching is a technique derived from pitching. For drawing, not only a special jug is used, but sticks, toothpicks or skewers, which allow you to create more detailed images.
- Mixed media - the name speaks eloquently for itself. A combination of the two above techniques. A distinctive feature is the ability to decorate the picture with cinnamon, syrup or chocolate.
Art is developing rapidly. Currently, there are special courses that provide latte art training, and today, various contests and competitions are held in this area, where professional barists demonstrate their skills.
Screen and 3D drawing technique
This is the simplest technique for drawing a picture on the surface of the coffee. To create the pattern, special latte art stencils are used, with which you can make complex and detailed images. The technique is available even to an unprepared beginner - stencils are available for sale. Having tried several times to create original drawings on the foam of coffee foam, you can surprise your family and friends with an unusual drink decorated with fancy decorations.
3D technique is the most spectacular and impressive way to create a picture. Barista from Japan, Kazuki Yamamoto, has achieved the greatest skill in this field of art. He easily creates incredibly voluminous and realistic images from whipped cream, from which it is impossible to take his eyes off.
From simple to complex
Everything is clear with the theory. It remains only to apply knowledge in practice and to figure out how to draw drawings on coffee. It is worth recalling once again about the pitching technique - the basis of all the basics - and about the two main figures - the heart and the “rosette”. To get a simple floral pattern, you need to beat the milk in a special jug and carefully pour it into the espresso, while shaking the pitcher from side to side. This is necessary in order to get petals of various sizes. The coffee cup must be kept tilted - this is necessary so that the coffee foam does not fall. At the very end, it remains only to hold a thin stream of milk - a stalk of “rosetta”.
Drawing a heart is even easier. To do this, direct the milk flow to the center of the cup, and then, swinging the pitcher from side to side, form a small circle. After filling the cup, raise the jug and cross the circle in diameter with a small stream of milk. So the circle is slightly extended in the direction of the last movement and a charming heart is created.
Latte art is art in its true manifestation, which is perfectly mastered by professional barista. However, small masterpieces can be created by anyone who wants to touch the coffee art.