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Food & Drink

Foam craft: seven baristas show us their best latte art

By Jon Sufrin
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Foam craft: seven baristas show us their best latte art
Sometimes, recognizing the shapes in latte art can be like spotting constellations in the sky. Mercury’s co-owner Matthew Taylor admits it might take a little bit of imagination to see the fire-breathing dragon in this design, but the extra-intricate garnish is a technical feat requiring four separate pours. He’s one of the true veterans of latte art in the city, having learned about it eight years ago while he was working at Balzac’s. Taylor hones designs like this one during informal, underground latte art competitions.

Ten years ago, latte art was virtually unheard of in Toronto. Today, finding a rosetta, heart or tulip swirled into a latte is as common as, well, an indie coffee shop on Queen West or College. While latte art is essentially just a garnish, it’s also telling of a barista’s competence. As Bulldog’s Stuart Ross—who helped bring the craft to the city—notes, it just won’t work unless the espresso and the milk are done right. And as the city’s coffee scene broadens, so does the complexity of coffee presentation. We hit the streets to find some of the more unusual, intricate and interesting examples of this culinary art. Click here to start the show »

Foam craft: seven baristas show us their best latte art
Foam craft: seven baristas show us their best latte art
Foam craft: seven baristas show us their best latte art
Mercury’s co-owner Matthew Taylor pours a fire-breathing dragon in a cup (Image: Jon Sufrin)
Foam craft: seven baristas show us their best latte art
Foam craft: seven baristas show us their best latte art
Foam craft: seven baristas show us their best latte art

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