Bitter Barista
Caffeine|Issue 42
Latte art competitions have been milking it for too long – they used to be fun, but now their focus on the wrong things is harming barista skills, says our cantankerous columnist
Bitter Barista

There’s time and place for everything. In Italy, the country that gave us the espresso, the only time for a cappuccino is first thing in the morning. In the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia, dairy is typically processed into other products to extend its life in the hot climate, and butter is traditionally added to black coffee. Closer to home there’s a different attitude. The abundance of pasture land, cooler temperatures and widespread lactose tolerance means milk is widely consumed by Brits at breakfast, lunch and dinner. And local baristas, it seems, share that love – just look at their latte art.

The rise of speciality coffee and the rise of latte art go hand in hand. A heart or rosetta topping one’s flat white or cappuccino quickly became a hallmark of cup quality, and a key point of difference from the high street coffee chains. At first, my baristas struggled to pour even the most basic of requests, but this changed rapidly and soon their rosettas were served with dozens of leaves, while it wasn’t uncommon to see peacocks and unicorns. Some shops cashed in by offering latte art courses to consumers.

Denne historien er fra Issue 42 -utgaven av Caffeine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Issue 42 -utgaven av Caffeine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CAFFEINESe alt
The Future Of Decaf?
Caffeine

The Future Of Decaf?

A US company claims its pouch extracts caffeine without harming flavour

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 42
Great Coffee Shouldn't Cost The Earth
Caffeine

Great Coffee Shouldn't Cost The Earth

Caffeine’s editor-at-large Tim Ridley explains how to lower the environmental impact of your coffee-drinking habit

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 42
What The F**k...Is Honey Processing?
Caffeine

What The F**k...Is Honey Processing?

Apart from natural and washed coffees sits a whole other category, as Sierra Wen Xin Yeo explains

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 42
The grind
Caffeine

The grind

SEASONAL COFFEE

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 42
Tea with purpose
Caffeine

Tea with purpose

Michelle and Rob Comins explain how tea can be a force for good

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 42
Ten years on
Caffeine

Ten years on

We celebrate the London Coffee Festival’s first decade with a look at its successes

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 42
Chocolate and espresso pavlova with fennel roasted grapes
Caffeine

Chocolate and espresso pavlova with fennel roasted grapes

This year I’m giving coffee centre stage on the Christmas dessert table. I firmly believe coffee shouldn’t just be an afterthought to accompany dessert, it should be the dessert – but aside from that, it just makes sense.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 42
Bitter Barista
Caffeine

Bitter Barista

Latte art competitions have been milking it for too long – they used to be fun, but now their focus on the wrong things is harming barista skills, says our cantankerous columnist

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 42
What The F**k ...Is The Maillard Reaction?
Caffeine

What The F**k ...Is The Maillard Reaction?

It’s just one of the elements you need to know about if you’re going to roast coffee successfully, as Edgaras Juška explains

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 41
Work Wonders
Caffeine

Work Wonders

Coffee gets people through the working day. So it stands to reason that better coffee produces better work – and in some places the two are in perfect harmony, says Phil Wain

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 41