Cafe Mocha
Mocaccino is the full name of my personal favorite mocha or cafe mocha as is generally known.
History - Cafe Mocha
Mocha is apparently a town in Yemen which used to be a major exporter of coffee which originally had a chocolaty finish
The origin of this drink goes back to Turin Italy where a similar drink made of espresso chocolate and whole milk was served in a short stout round glass
Past Variants of cafe mocha
The origin of this drink goes back to Turin Italy where a similar drink made of espresso chocolate and whole milk was served in a short stout round glass
Past Variants of cafe mocha
- Bicerin - Espresso drinking chocolate milk Cafe Al Bicerin has been serving the drink in Torino's Piazza Della Consolata since the 18th century and is probably the originator of the drink
- Marocchino - Basically espresso Chocolate powder and milk froth, said to have originated in Alessandria Italy Its named so because of the tan color of the drink. Morocco known as Maroc chino in Italy was known for its tan colored leather
- Espressino - A round glass dusted with Cocoa powder filled with espresso dusted again with chocolate topped with milk foam and if you are in love then dust again with cocoa powder
Why chocolate and coffee
Coffee and chocolate is a match made in heaven.
Each one complements the other to increase and enhance the flavors.
Right from the tropical conditions of growth , soil conditions, effects of climate on the final taste the list of what matches between chocolate and coffee goes on till the aroma profiles and flavors
The good thing about them is - they have commonalities in some places at the same time complement each other in others. Hence its truly a match made in heaven
Each one complements the other to increase and enhance the flavors.
Right from the tropical conditions of growth , soil conditions, effects of climate on the final taste the list of what matches between chocolate and coffee goes on till the aroma profiles and flavors
The good thing about them is - they have commonalities in some places at the same time complement each other in others. Hence its truly a match made in heaven
what goes into a Cafe Mocha
Let's see what goes into the cafe mocha is made and what we think how it should be made
There is no set in stone recipe for that it's purely a matter of mood and personal preference.
But for starters here it is
Ingredients - you would need coffee chocolate and milk as basic ingredients.
1. Coffee
2. Milk
3. Chocolate
There is no set in stone recipe for that it's purely a matter of mood and personal preference.
But for starters here it is
Ingredients - you would need coffee chocolate and milk as basic ingredients.
1. Coffee
- It should be a nice strong decoction. A French press based coffee might not be the best idea since it usually results in watered down brew. Since mocha takes different ingredients like milk chocolate etc. It would be good to have a strong decoction
- If use a SIF A south Indian filter , an espresso machine or any other method which results in a good strong brew
- For brewing basics check our older pages
2. Milk
- For a great mouth feel and good taste its better you use full cream milk. Normal toned milk would not do any harm either.
- Soya milk almond milk is just a matter of preference and would add an interesting nutty taste to the recipe. It is recommended that you try them later on
- You would not need boiling milk neither you would need to boil coffee with milk. Resist from doing so.
- All you need is hot milk. This would do many things. It will not cook the espresso. It would help with the flavors and volatile compounds of the coffee to rise so that you enjoy the coffee better.
3. Chocolate
- What is normally used - Hershey chocolate syrup. If you have it at home and like go ahead and use it. Let us remind you that it has sugar mixed into it so is sweet. it might also not be the right option every time but is the convenient option
- What do recipes recommend - cocoa powder mixed with a little hot water and sugar to taste. This is actually a good option for multiple reasons. It gives you control on the sweetness of the recipe and you can vary the strength of the chocolate easily. It also can be used for dusting the drink. Caution - there are cocoa powders available with sugar mixed into them which might not be the best of ideas to buy.
- What do we recommend - we would recommend a tad complicated but worth the effort way. Buy a 70% dark Lindt chocolate. his comes in a decent sized bar and can be used in many dishes. Take a generous portion for a normal sized cup 5 6 blocks odd. The advantage with this is you have less sugar and more chocolate. Also it has cocoa butter and other cocoa solids which give it a richness and creaminess. The taste is much more pure which obviously reflects in the final beverage made.
How is it made
Now that you have everything in place and all the knowledge you need let's get to making it. Making it is more of assembling things
Assuming you are making a regular sized mug of Mocha.
Assuming you are making a regular sized mug of Mocha.
- Fill up the mug with coffee decoction/espresso. 30-40ml of espresso should do.
Based on the method of making and the strength of the decoction please feel absolutely free to vary that amount of coffee you add. If you are using Instant coffee then it would be 3+ teaspoons of it. - Add the chocolate.
If you are using the Hershey’s syrup go ahead and splurge.
If you are using cocoa powder - Mix it with some hot water to make a thin paste. Add sugar if you like it that way. Add a hint of salt. Chocolate somehow wells up to the taste of salt. Believe me it will taste good
If you are using Lindt - I would suggest put 5-6 blocks of Lindt into a mug and microwave it and then add the coffee. If that’s not possible then melt the chocolate blocks in a double boiler over water and transfer them into the mug along with the coffee - Add milk
The cafe adds steamed milk and tops off with milk froth
If you don’t have a frother no worries. Mocha sans the milk froth is a personal preference. Add HOT milk and not boiling milk.
As mentioned full cream is good. Soya/Almond milk is good too as they give a mouth feel and heaviness to the drink. Nonetheless any milk is good.
Add only so much milk so that the drink tastes like Mocha. It should not turn milky.
How should an ideal Cafe mocha be
There is no ideal cafe mocha - There is a crowd pleaser and there is a personal preference
We would still go ahead and list down ow it should be
We would still go ahead and list down ow it should be
- It should be bitter sweet
It should be sweet but that should not mask any of the flavors out there. Coffee and Chocolate are very complex flavors which cannot be described with one word. They have a depth to them. That should come out.
People add marshmallows, whipped cream, ice cream. Its a good idea there is no doubt about it. But that makes it a desert than a companion beverage. - It should be neither too thick not too thin. But the texture should be such that you should feel the drink lazily slide down your throat
If needed add 1 part cream to 3 parts milk to get that lazy consistency - Boiling Hot does not serve anybody any good - Neither can you drink nor can you enjoy the beverage. Always make it hot and slow sip it than gulp/chug it down. Its a companion beverage. It takes your time and gives you strength, time to ponder and motivation to get back to work.
Extras
- Whipped cream
- Toasted nuts
- Chocolate syrup
- Chocolate powder dusting
- Castor sugar
- Cinnamon powder
- Pumpkin spice
- Allspice powder
- Marsh Mallows
ETC