There’s a certain charm to unconventional artistic expression that captivates the human mind. When art hits you unexpectedly, a moment of pure appreciation takes place. It’s a quick shot of Bohemianism in which concerns of magnitude and interpretation are replaced with instinctive amusement. Your first thought is, “Wow, that’s cool,” or, “That’s awesome.”
Stand in line at any coffee shop and you’ll hear how serious people are about their coffee and espresso drinks – two-shot, one-pump, double-pump, half-shot, two percent, light, no foam – You would think they were artists. That’s not art at all, though. That’s just being extremely engaged in an 8 to 20-ounce opportunity for customization. There’s no talent in being intensely particular about a beverage.
Latte art, on the other hand, is incredibly innovative and undeniably impressive. Skilled baristas make latte masterpieces by manipulating the separation of coffee and microfoam. This is traditionally done during the latte-making process by creatively “free pouring” the foam into an espresso-filled latte cup, but “etching” more intricate designs onto the top of a latte with a coffee stirrer has also become popular.
Latte art is enjoyed (and then consumed) all over the world. Here are 5 latte art masterpieces for the next time you need a pick-me-up:
caption id="attachment_10664" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Courtesy of Flickr user "dogmilque""/caption
