Do you enjoy your morning cut of coffee? How about a latte with foam? Termed “Latte Art” , drawing images and designs in the steamed milk foam of a coffee was first developed in Italy in the early 1990s.
Photo by Kazuki Yamamoto
The master of latte art is now considered to be Kazuki Yamamoto of Osaka, Japan. Several years ago, Kazuki started working part time in a cafe. A senior colleague introduced him to latte art by teaching him to draw the ionic heart and leaf shapes on the surface of a coffee drink. Experimenting on his own, Kazuki began creating images of famous characters and celebrities. When he uploaded photos of his creations to his Twitter account, he soon had over 100,000 followers.
Advancements in microfoam enabled Kazuki to use the stiffer foam create three dimensional pieces. The talented barista starts by carefully pouring foamed milk on top of a hot cup of coffee. He uses a metal pick to cut precise lines into the white foam, working only a few millimeters at a time with each stroke. Kazuki hopes one day to open his own coffeehouse. Until then, his work is in a league of its own and is as mind-blowing as it is impressive.
