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Latte art: barista as artiste |
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Written by Caryn Rousseau, asap
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Monday, 16 April 2007 |
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With a few flicks of Aaron Duckworth’s latte-pouring wrist, he can turn your regular low-fat hazelnut drink into a work of art.
Duckworth is a practitioner of latte art, or the process of creating intricate designs on the top of lattes while pouring the steamed milk into the espresso. At his shop, Espresso dell’Anatra, Duckworth trains his baristas in the art — creating fern leaves and hearts.
“Your drink is going to naturally taste better because in order for us to do latte art, the espresso has got to be perfect, the milk has got to be perfect,” Duckworth says. “Everything has to come together at the same time. If one of your components is off, then you don’t have a chance.”
He also teaches etching, or making snowflake, rosetta and swirl designs by drawing on top of the latte with a sharp object, like the edge of a spoon.
Duckworth, a representative for the Barista Guild of America, says the first known latte art was created by accident in Seattle in 1990, when a barista became distracted, looked down and saw a heart had formed on the drink. Since then, training videos and word of mouth have spread the art form, which even has its own competitions.
And while latte art can be memorable for the customer —Duckworth says he’s had people take pictures of their coffees —it’s more about the quality of the drink.
But is this a good use of time when you’ve got a coffee shop full of customers? Duckworth thinks it is.
“You’ve taken your time to really slow it down, and not be so rush rush rush rush rush, get them out as fast as you can,” Duckworth says, adding that translates well for customers.
“The real art should be in what it tastes like,” Duckworth says. “It’s kind of a signature of the barista. I’ve taken an extra couple seconds on your drink. I’ve made this the best that I can make it. It’s really in the name of making the best beverage possible.”
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Caryn Rousseau is an asap reporter based in Kansas City, Mo.
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