Yemen Mocha Coffee vs Mocha Pot Coffee and Mocha Coffee: Differences and Pricing

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The Origins of Coffee

Coffee originated in Ethiopia, located on the East African plateau. For nearly 2000 years, this region has been producing high-quality Arabica variety hand-dried coffee beans, named after the ancient city of Harar. About 1500 years ago, coffee trees were introduced to Yemen across the Red Sea, thus beginning coffee beans' journey around the world. Yemeni coffee beans were exported to various parts of the world through the port of Mocha (now silted and abandoned), primarily through Turkey to Europe. Therefore, Yemeni coffee beans were named after their export port, which is what we now commonly refer to as "Mocha beans."

Mocha Beans

[Mocha Beans]: Produced in Ethiopia, these beans are small yet aromatic, with strong acidic and mellow flavors, slightly wine-like, spicy and stimulating, with moderate sweetness and unique characteristics. They are a renowned high-quality coffee, typically consumed as single-origin. Currently, Yemeni-produced coffee is considered the best, followed by Ethiopian Mocha. Mocha coffee features smooth medium to strong acidity, excellent sweetness, unique flavor, and contains chocolate notes. With an elegant quality reminiscent of nobility, it is an extremely distinctive pure coffee variety.

Mocha (Mocca - also called "small mocha" due to the very small bean size). Small mocha from Central and South America not only has short trees and small beans but also low yield. Generally, small mocha beans are about 10 to 11 mesh wide, meaning bean width between 0.39 cm and 0.43 cm, which is much smaller than typical 18-mesh Central American beans with 0.7 cm width. Note that small mocha beans have a flat side, meaning one fruit contains two raw beans. Of course, small mocha also has small round beans, but the proportion is only 2%, far lower than the 5% to 10% of general Arabica varieties.

Mocha Pot

Because Yemen was the world's main coffee exporter before the European colonial period, the term "Mocha" served as a synonym for Yemeni coffee beans for a considerable time. What we now call a "Mocha pot" actually means a type of coffee pot.

The Mocha pot consists of an upper chamber, a filter screen, and a lower chamber, with the filter screen positioned between the upper and lower chambers. During brewing, water is placed in the lower chamber while coffee grounds are placed in the middle filter screen. When the lower chamber is heated, it generates steam, creating about one atmosphere of pressure that pushes hot water upward through the coffee grounds and the pot's thin tube. After hitting the pot lid, it falls into the upper chamber, forming coffee liquid.

[Key Points]: Place the properly assembled Mocha pot on a heat source for heating. The key to filling a Mocha pot with coffee grounds is to fill it as much as possible rather than compressing it tightly. You can add grounds in batches while filling, tapping the edges of the filter basket to ensure it's completely filled without gaps. For easier observation, I recommend brewing with the upper lid open.

Soon, coffee liquid will overflow from the central metal column of the upper chamber.

As extraction continues, the coffee liquid level will gradually rise. When oil appears on the liquid surface, be aware that coffee extraction is nearing completion. When the oil color changes from dark to light, immediately cut off the heat source to stop extraction; otherwise, the coffee will be over-extracted.

Especially do not stop after hearing a "gurgling" sound. Such coffee may even develop a roasted rubber taste.

Because it generates approximately one atmosphere of pressure, it is classified as a high-pressure brewing method. Additionally, some people call it a "manual espresso pot." I do not agree with this designation because it does not meet espresso standards and cannot produce that layer of Crema. However, it is indeed a "strong" drip coffee that has always been favored by those who prefer bold flavors.

PS: Mocha pots are very sensitive to capacity - you must brew coffee according to the pot's capacity. If you have a 2-cup Mocha pot, you should brew 2 cups at once. If you only brew one cup, the coffee grounds won't be thick enough, providing insufficient resistance to hot water, which will pass through quickly, resulting in poorly extracted coffee. Mocha pots on the market come in 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18-cup capacities. Consider your needs carefully before purchasing.

Mocha Coffee

Original "Mocha" beans, due to being processed using ancient hand-drying methods, are full of wild flavors with strong "chocolate notes" in the aftertaste. Therefore, in Italian coffee culture, "chocolate coffee" is called "Mocha coffee." Similar to classic Italian latte, it is typically made with one-third Espresso and two-thirds milk foam, but it also includes a small amount of chocolate.

Chocolate is usually added in the form of chocolate syrup, but some coffee-serving systems use instant chocolate powder as a substitute. Sometimes, whipped cream, cocoa powder, and marshmallows are added on top to enhance the coffee's aroma and serve as decoration. Unlike Italian cappuccino, Mocha coffee does not have fresh milk foam on top. Instead, Mocha coffee typically has either whipped cream and either cinnamon powder or cocoa powder on top. Sunflower seed powder may also be added to the surface as decoration and to enhance flavor.

Yemeni Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

Yemen Mocha coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee offer excellent guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide extremely high value - a 227-gram package costs only 85 yuan. Calculating at 15 grams of coffee per cup, one package can make 15 cups, with each cup costing less than 6 yuan. Compared to cafe prices that often reach tens of yuan per cup, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473