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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Mocha has the most interesting story in the realm of coffee, and we bet you’ve never heard this one. Why do we call coffee and chocolate-flavored drinks mocha?
Mocha is a port city at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, in Yemen. Between the 15th century and the early 18th century, all coffee came from Mocha, and those were glorious days, my friend.
The intense flavor of mocha beans could be described as chocolaty which is why it became one of Europe’s favorites.
When the old continent met the American cacao bean for the first time, they instantly associated the flavor profiles, and the term mocha became linked to chocolate-infused brews. People soon added chocolate to their coffee to make it taste more like mocha coffee.
Mocha coffee is immensely popular, sure, but it’s not always good. People mixing so-so coffee with chocolate syrup in an overly sweet mixture does not make Mocha any favors.
To make good mocha coffee, you need both good coffee and good chocolate. If any of them fails, the combination fails too.
For the authentic experience, it would be very cool to get your hands on authentic Yemeni coffee and trust us; it’s out there. Sadly, the region is not politically stable, making your endeavor hard to achieve.
Any Arabica coffee from a high altitude region, though, should do the trick. Ethiopian coffee, for example, could be the closest thing to the real deal.
Chocolate syrup is tasty, sure, and makes a good cup of Mocha, but it’s far from being your best choice. Why? You can’t adjust the sweetness without sacrificing chocolate flavor.
Once you realize that you can flavor your coffee with chocolate and sweeten it later, the gates of mocha heaven open for you, and you’re one step closer to the perfect mocha coffee.
Unsweetened cocoa powder is what you’re looking for. It will add an enticing chocolate flavor to your coffee, which you can sweeten later to taste.
So, here’s the deal: Dark roast high altitude Ethiopian coffee and unsweetened cocoa powder make the best cup of Mocha you’ll ever have.
The final ingredient is milk, and for the job, we love the creaminess of half and half.
If you’re ready, let’s make a mean cup of mocha coffee that would make the ancient Yemeni coffee traders proud.
Warm up the half and half without foaming.
Brew one shot (1 oz) of coffee.
Pour the cocoa powder into a mug, pour the coffee, and the half and half.
Sweeten to taste and stir.
Add some whipped cream (optional).
Garnish with dusted cocoa powder.
Enjoy!
