Elephant etch
For the elephant, this requires strong free pouring skills in that you have to draw a specific style of rosetta to set your “canvas”. From there, you need to do some etching to finish off your product. Etching is becoming an increasingly large part of latte art as it allows you to release your artistic potential beyond your basic rosettas and tulips, and combinations thereof.
For your etching, feel free to use a tool that you normally have available around the café or at home – anything sanitary with a fine tip. For instance, you can use a bamboo stick, toothpick or the end of a thermometer.
Remember that between strokes, it’s important to wipe off your etching tool with a clean, damp cloth so you can ensure your new strokes are clean, and you don’t get any white into the crema. With our etching here, we’re using the crema to etch into the foam, but you can also use the white from the foam to etch into your crema.
 Step 1
Start off by pouring a rosetta to fill up the cup, with a wide base contrasting with a much thinner end. Pull in just at the end of the rosetta. This will eventually form the ears and trunk of the elephant.
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 Step 2
Dip your etching tool into your crema. For your tool, you can use anything with a fine tip you have on hand, such as thermometer, bamboo stick or even a toothpick.
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 Step 3
Drag the crema around the outside of the end of your rosetta to make the trunk and the ears. Ensure that you wipe off your etching tool between strokes.
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 Step 4
After you’ve outlined the trunk, dip your etching tool back into the crema and draw on the eyes.
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Step 5 Again using the crema, draw a bindi on the elephant by drawing on three dots between the elephant’s eyes. | Step 6 Enjoy your final product! Remember, the etching takes a bit of time so this probably isn’t for your everyday café, but is certainly a lot of fun. |
