Latte Art

This is one of 66 images of Latte Art, collected by a fellow named "Tonx." Yes, you're looking at a cup of coffee. A Latte, to be precise. And yes, the steamed milk is swirled somehow so it looks almost exactly like a leaf. And, like I said, it's only one of 66 images - best seen as a slide show.

Now that you've got a taste for what this Latte Art is all about, you might further amuse yourself by watching this little clip of Latte Art in the making. The clip's very lo-res, but there's just enough to make you gasp in wonder and the kind of mastery one can achieve as a devoted Latte Artist.

And this, of course, is the whole point. The kind of mastery. The kind that appears with a swirl, and then disappears with a sip. Ephemeral art. Performance art. Art that is more than anything for the sheer fun of being able to do it.

Need further instructions? See these pages from CoffeGeek.

And, if you're in Vegas between June 3-5, and you just don't know what to do with yourself - take a gamble and visit the Millrock Latte Art Competition.