Secret Book of Talent | Coffee DIY on Milk Bubble

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Many friends who like coffee only focus on the taste and flavor of coffee when drinking coffee on weekdays. In fact, food emphasizes color, aroma and taste, and so is coffee. If a cup of coffee can present a lovely pattern, it can definitely enrich the enjoyment of vision and taste. In order to add appearance to the coffee in your hand, you don't have to be a flower master. You can do it even if you brew it at home. This issue will teach you how to make coffee flowers.

Coffee latte-art is a pattern made of milk on a cappuccino or latte. There are many techniques for flower drawing, which are mainly divided into two types: freehand flower drawing (Free Pour) by controlling the height and shaking range of the milk pot, and using sharp objects such as toothpicks or thermometers to draw flowers with milk foam or sauce (Etching). This time, Nigel, the owner of Sao Mei Coffee, is invited to give you a demonstration.

Drawing materials and tools

If you want to make coffee flowers, of course there must be coffee! Coffee requires espresso made from an Italian coffee machine (espresso). If not, it can be made in a mocha pot or chocolate instead. Milk should choose whole milk with protein and fat content of 3-4%. The higher the fat content, the more stable the milk bubbles, but too high is counterproductive. When the milk is heated, the protein will form a film to wrap around the air, forming bubbles floating on the milk surface. The higher the protein content in the milk, the easier it is to blister, and the foam is finer and denser. A cup of ordinary heated milk cannot be used to pull flowers. We need to use the steam stick of an Italian coffee machine to pump bubbles into the milk while heating. For beginners, it is appropriate to choose a single stomata, because the fewer pores in the rod head, the slower the steam comes out and is easier to control. If not, you can beat the milk bubble pot or electric milk stick by hand, but the effect is difficult to master. Generally speaking, the milk pot can be made of 350cc or 600cc steel pot, and you can choose different sizes to match the weight of the production. Toothpicks or thermometers are also needed to draw flowers and semi-wet towels to clean steam sticks.

Milk first and then pull flowers

To pull out a beautiful pattern, the milk must be dense, with fine foam (Microfoam), and hit as thick and smooth as velvet, with a reflective surface in order to pull out a complex pattern. Too much foam, too big, or foam does not blend with milk, can not pull flowers.

How to make a good foam?

First pour about 175-200cc frozen milk (about 4 °C, preferably just out of the refrigerator) into the 350cc milk pot, accounting for 3 portions of the milk pot. Then turn on the steam stick for a few seconds, drain the water from the stick, and then put the nozzle into the milk, as long as it is just covered by the milk noodle, do not put too deep and deviate from the center point. After putting it away, turn on the steam stick and start to inhale. If you see a beautiful whirlpool and hear a crisp "squeak" sound, you are in the right position. When the foam is initiated, move the kettle down gently to keep the nozzle on the surface of the milk. The amount of foaming is recommended not to exceed 25%. After the foaming is finished, raise the milk pot a little bit so that the nozzle is inserted into the depths of the milk and continue to create a whirlpool. The action is to break down the bubbles into dense microbubbles and heat the milk to 60-65 °C. When the lactose in milk is heated, it will produce sweetness. If it exceeds 75 °C, it will be scorched, and the sweetness and stability will be reduced. When finished, take out the steam stick and clean it with a semi-wet towel immediately.

The basic gesture of pulling flowers

Flower drawing emphasizes the stability of gestures and milk pouring speed, you can start with the basic heart-shaped pattern. First tilt the cup containing the coffee, pour the milk into it, and drop it at the deepest point in the middle. When you pour, pull up the milk pot to create a high and thin column of water, and at the same time mix the milk and coffee in circles. When the cup is full, lower the milk pot and get the pacifier as close to the coffee surface as possible, then the flow rate of the milk foam will slow down. You can gently shake the milk pot left and right with your wrists until the cup is 90% full. Pull the milk pot high so that the milk pillar is young and push forward at the same time to form a heart-shaped pattern. If the surface of the coffee turns white when you pour in the milk at the beginning, it means that the foam is too thick or too thick, practice milking again.

How to make a good cup of espresso?

1) beans must be ground immediately! Grind the right amount of coffee powder with a grinder.

2) fill the powder and compact it with a filler.

3) brew espresso with an Italian coffee machine.

Draw flowers with bare hands

1. Sprinkle chocolate powder on top of the coffee, then pour in the milk, the drop point is the deepest in the middle, the water column is high and thin.

two。 When the cup is full, lower the pacifier and get as close to the surface of the coffee as possible.

3. Wrist gently shake the milk pot left and right and pull back at the same time until the cup is 90% full. Pull the milk pot high so that the milk column is young and push forward at the same time.

Tulip pattern

When you are proficient in heart-shaped patterns, you can begin to practice multi-level tulips.

1. First of all, use the basic skills to pull out a small onion heart at the bottom of the coffee cup. Pour a little more foam behind the onion heart and gesture forward.

two。 Then slowly increase the number of layers of the small solid, and finally pull back.

Carving / painting

Bear pattern

1. First of all, use the basic skills to pull out a solid pattern on the coffee without shaking the milk, and then pull a small dot on the big top of the heart.

two。 Spoon a little milk foam and put it into bear ears.

3. Dip coffee with a thermometer and draw your eyes and nostrils.

Author: Qihao Virginia Tam (founder of Vigi Coffee, recognized trainer of American Fine Coffee Association, recognized instructor of Diploma in Coffee Studies of European Fine Coffee Association, Japanese final judge of 2014-2016 World siphon barista Competition, workshop instructor of Hong Kong siphon barista contest, president of Hong Kong Coffee Culture Promotion Association, organizer of 2011 Food Expo Coffee Street. Www.facebook.com/vigicoffee)

Model: Mangie

Photography: Wilson