The History and Origins of Coffee Latte Art: The Development and Evolution of Latte Art

The Art of Coffee Latte: Origins and Evolution

When coffee shops serve milk-based espresso beverages, latte art is often a standard feature. From simple hearts and leaves to complex animal and cartoon patterns, the possibilities are endless. In certain coffee competitions, latte art has become an essential professional skill for baristas, who can create various exquisite patterns with ease. But who originally developed such magnificent techniques?

Did Coffee Latte Art Originate in Italy or America?

To create latte art, of course, you need a pressure-driven espresso machine and a steam wand. In the early twentieth century, Luigi Bezzera, a manufacturer from Milan, Italy, invented the first semi-automatic steam-pressure coffee machine to extract coffee more efficiently and patented it in 1901. Later, the Italian company La Pavoni acquired Bezzera's patent and added a steam wand to the coffee machine, launching it to the market in 1906.

Although steamed milk was already being made in Italy as early as the late 19th century, latte art didn't appear until decades later. The popularization of latte art among the general public can be attributed to Americans. In the 1980s, David Schomer set up a small coffee stall in Seattle, USA. One day, while making an espresso milk beverage, he accidentally formed a "heart shape" with the final white milk foam on the surface.

Later, after deeply studying the style and production techniques of Italian espresso at the time, David opened Espresso Vivace and dedicated himself to perfecting this "pattern-pulling" technique, improving and training more baristas in the ability to create high-quality latte art. By the late 1980s, these decorated coffees began to gain popularity in the United States and quickly spread to various parts of the world.

Coffee Latte Art is Also Called "Latte Art"

Latte coffee is phonetically translated from the Italian "Caffè Latte," where "Latte" refers to milk. When steamed hot milk is incorporated into espresso while creating "artistic" patterns, it's called latte art.

Early coffee latte art only featured simple patterns like hearts and leaves. With the development of specialty coffee, baristas worldwide have increasingly valued this skill. They began to design more exquisite visual effects, and there's also an etching technique that uses milk foam and auxiliary materials to create bolder graphics.

Initially, baristas focused more on the presentation of patterns. However, with industry development and high consumer demand, coffee latte art has not only become visually sophisticated but has also continuously improved in terms of the creamy texture of milk, the methods and techniques of integration with espresso, thereby enhancing the overall taste of coffee to achieve what's known as the realm of complete color, aroma, and flavor. David pointed out that high-quality espresso and premium milk are both crucial for creating exquisite latte art.

The popularity of milk-based beverages like lattes and flat whites on social media and in social circles is largely due to the addition of latte art. Who wouldn't appreciate their ordered coffee having not only a mellow taste but also a pleasingly beautiful latte art design?

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