Art in the 21st century comes in many forms. You may have views on animal sculptures made out of rubbish or portraits composed of M&Ms, but what of pouring coffee?
If anyone can convince you of the artistry involved in such an undertaking - and we'd wager it's not even something Marx would have called "artisanal" - it may well be Peter Hernou, a former winner of something called the World Latte Art Championship and, ergo, a past master at mixing milk in with espresso.
In Hong Kong earlier this month to promote the Asian release of his new book, Latte Arte - which was crowned world's best coffee book at the Gourmand Cookbook Awards, no less - Hernou is possessed of a scalding passion for his bean-based calling.
"Coffee is about so much more than boosting energy levels," says the Belgian, whose tome covers the history of coffee and coffee-making, basic bean knowledge and brewing and serving methods. "A perfect cup of coffee is a combination of huge resources and great efforts, and from planting to brewing, all require exacting skills."
