The History and Development of Latte Art An Introduction to Italian Coffee Art Culture

The Art and Origins of Coffee Latte Art

When coffee shops serve milk-based espresso drinks, latte art is often the standard feature. Simple designs include hearts and leaves, while more complex patterns can feature animals and cartoon characters. In certain coffee competitions, latte art has become an essential professional skill for baristas, who can create various exquisite patterns. So who first developed this magnificent technique?

Did Coffee Latte Art Originate in Italy or America?

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

Although steamed milk was already being prepared in Italy as early as the late 19th century, latte art didn't appear until several decades later. The popularization of latte art among the public can be credited to Americans. In the 1980s, David Schomer ran a small coffee stall in Seattle, Washington. One day, while making an espresso milk drink, he coincidentally formed a "heart shape" with the final white milk foam on the liquid surface.

Later, after deeply studying the style and preparation techniques of Italian espresso coffee at the time, David opened Espresso Vivace and dedicated himself to perfecting this "pattern-pulling" technique, improving and training more baristas to create high-quality latte art. By the late 1980s, these pattern-decorated coffees began to gain popularity in America 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 simultaneously pulling "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 designing more exquisite visual effects, and there's also an etching technique that uses milk foam and additional ingredients to create bolder graphics.

Initially, baristas focused more on presenting patterns, but through industry development and high consumer demand, coffee latte art has evolved beyond visual aesthetics. There have been continuous improvements in the velvety texture of milk, the methods and techniques of fusion with espresso, thereby enhancing the overall flavor of coffee to achieve what's known as the realm of complete color, aroma, and taste. David pointed out that high-quality espresso and premium milk are both crucial for creating exquisite latte art.

The popularity of milk coffees like lattes and flat whites on social media and among friends is largely due to the addition of latte art. Who wouldn't love their ordered coffee to not only have a rich, mellow taste but also a visually pleasing, beautiful latte art pattern?

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