ESPRESSO YOURSELF
Jibbi Little of Jibbijug is the 2019 ASCA Pauls Professional Australian Latte Art Champion.
Little Penguin Jibbi Little shares a challenging penguin latte art design with a lot of character and two happy feet.
F
rom the whimsical movie Happy Feet showing one penguin’s desire to dance, to Morgan Freeman’s majestic voice narrating the sometimes harsh March of the Penguins, the flightless birds have captivated people’s imaginations with their unique look, behaviour, and habitats. Though both these films follow the huge emperor penguins of Antarctica, Australia has a native species of its own, the fairy or little penguins. Victoria’s Phillip Island is best known for its little penguin population, as is Western Australia’s Penguin Island, home to 1000 pairs of penguins during winter that featured in a movie of its own, Oddball, in 2015. The penguin is a popular latte art design, but for my version, I’m going to get the scene and add a little extra detail. This pattern is complex and may prove difficult for beginners. It requires a good
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understanding of spacing to ensure the penguin looks right when the body connects with the wings. You’ll also need to understand how one technique will affect the look of another, such as pouring through the hearts in step one to draw the branch. A high level of proficiency is also needed to master the different sized and shaped rosettas, thickening your pour when moving from the body to the face, and the cunning eye technique used to provide the design with its character. Getting the right shape for the face, eye, and beak will also likely take quite a bit of work to perfect. This fairy penguin design is definitely a challenge, but the reward is the look on your customers’ faces when you reward them with a delicious coffee and equally impressive-looking latte art of a feathered, fluffy friend.
