Does Latte Art Make Lattes Taste Better? How Does Latte Art Affect Coffee's Flavor?

Latte Art: Does It Make Your Coffee Taste Better?

Latte art has essentially become a standard feature of latte coffee service. I remember ordering a latte 10 years ago and eagerly anticipating what kind of pattern the barista would create. When I saw an exquisite design, my first impression was already that it would taste delicious. FrontStreet Coffee would like to discuss whether latte art actually makes latte coffee taste better.

What is Latte Art?

First, let me briefly introduce what latte art is. Latte art is the technique of using properly steamed milk with appropriate foam, where the barista skillfully allows the foam to float on the surface in a pattern as it combines with espresso.

Latte Art Creates Better First Impressions

Human emotions are quite complex, and judging whether a cup of coffee tastes good goes beyond just flavor and texture. Visual experience often determines your initial judgment. For example, some foods are indeed delicious but may not look appealing. Without anyone's introduction, relying solely on your visual first impression, if it doesn't attract you, you might miss out on its taste.

Furthermore, first impressions can affect your judgment. For instance, seeing a latte with a crooked pattern, even if it tastes exactly the same as a latte with beautiful latte art, your internal rating will be somewhat lower.

Additionally, there's another factor: in most people's eyes, latte art is a barista's skill, and the technique of latte art reflects the barista's level of professionalism. A beautiful latte art pattern is generally considered proof of a skilled barista and guaranteed quality of their coffee preparation.

Taste Differences Between Latte Art and No Latte Art

Whether a latte tastes good mainly depends on the selection of coffee beans and milk, the extraction quality of espresso, the ratio of milk to coffee, the quality of milk foam, and the quality of integration. FrontStreet Coffee has conducted similar comparisons, and when all the above conditions are properly executed, there is no significant difference in taste and flavor between lattes with and without latte art.

However, the latte art process requires higher standards for foam quality and integration uniformity. Because for lattes without latte art, you simply need to pour the milk with foam into the coffee and integrate until the cup is full. This makes it easier to achieve uniform integration and takes less preparation time.

Creating latte art requires leaving some empty space in the cup for the pattern to emerge. For example, simple patterns might be integrated to 7/10 full, while complex patterns might only be integrated to 4/10 full. Therefore, to achieve uniform integration, the technical requirements for the barista are higher.

FrontStreet Coffee found during testing that there was no significant difference in taste and flavor between lattes with and without latte art, provided that the latte art coffee also achieved uniform integration. The coffee surface showed distinct and uniform white and brown colors, with a "golden ring" forming around the edges. This golden ring is the result of coffee crema combining with milk foam, while the white part is the result of foam floating on the surface. When we drink coffee, we're consuming the golden ring where crema and foam have combined, so there's no significant difference in texture and flavor.

If the surface has uneven depths and gradient transition colors, it indicates uneven integration, which will affect the taste and texture of the latte. If the pursuit of beautiful and complex patterns results in excessive preparation time, this will also affect the taste and texture experience.

Conclusion

Therefore, without compromising the flavor and texture of the coffee, appropriately creating a latte with simple and beautiful latte art can improve one's mood and add to the taste experience.

However, if sacrificing taste for the pursuit of beautiful latte art, it would not be worth the trade-off.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473