By Aaron Dongsu Shin is the 2017 ASCA Australian Pura Latte Art Champion.
Welcome to my first column for BeanScene. I’m very excited to have this opportunity to share my love of latte art with you. I never imagined I’d be in this position three years ago. I was living in Korea and studying architecture at university while completing military service – but it wasn’t for me. I started reading different books and found one about baristas. I discovered what latte art was and thought it was really unique, so I gave it a go. I quickly learnt it wasn’t as easy as I thought.
After a failed plan to open my own café in Korea, I decided to travel around the world, with plans to spend one year each in Australia, Canada, and England. But my journey started and ended in Australia. I like Australia so much – its coffee culture, relaxed lifestyle, and friendly people – and I’ve been happily living here for the past three years.
I work at Short Black Café in Melbourne, and I’m passionate about making great coffee, not just latte art. Thankfully, through winning the ASCA Australian Pura Latte Art Championship, I now have the opportunity to share my coffee passion with the world.
I’m lucky 2016 ASCA Australian Pura Latte Art Champion Ben Morrow has taught you the basics of tulips, rosettas, and hearts in his BeanScene columns over the past year, because we’re going to put them all together in this pattern – my Rainbow Fish.
Aaron Dongsu Shin creates The Penguin
Step 1
Start with the cup handle facing towards you at 6 o’clock, and pour your milk into the centre to chase the whites.
Step 2
Begin your first contact point by pouring a tulip into the bottom half of the cup. To do this, make a reverse “C” shape or half circle with your pour.
Step 3
In the same continuous motion pour a heart inside the half circle. Pull through
Step 4
Aim for the top left hand side of the cup and pour a rosetta with seven layers down towards you. Pull through.
Step 5
Rotate the cup 90 degrees clockwise and pour another seven-leaf rosetta to mirror the last one. From the end of the last one you just poured, working down towards you. Pull though.
Step 6
To form the fins of the fish, turn the cup another 90 degrees so that the handle faces 12 o’clock.
Step 7
Underneath the first tulip, pour two small six-leaf rosettas or lines that wiggle down from the first part of the pour and curve inwards. Don’t pull through. Repeat on the opposite side.
Step 8
To form the scales on the first, pour one tulip between the two small rosettas that were just poured. Then pour two more side-by-side tulips below, and two more side-by-side below the previous two.
Step 9
To form the head of the fish, draw a half circle with your jug to connect the end of the two small rosettas.
Step 10
Lastly, drop one dot inside to make the eye, and that’s your Rainbow Fish.