History and Origin of Mocha Coffee: Italian Mocha Coffee Preparation Process Steps

The Disappearing Mocha: From Italian Staple to Café Rarity

"Boss, I'll have a mocha"

"Sorry, we don't have mocha~"

Once upon a time, mocha stood alongside latte and cappuccino as a staple on Italian coffee menus, a must-order item for many. Today, many specialty coffee shops no longer feature mocha as their signature flavored coffee, some even removing it from their menus entirely. Instead, more popular coffee categories have emerged, such as dirty and oat milk latte. The presence of mocha seems to be gradually disappearing from coffee shops.

When Did Mocha Coffee Join the Italian Menu?

"Mocha" derives its name from the port of Mocha in Yemen. For several hundred years beginning in the 15th century, all coffee beans had to be concentrated at the port of Mocha, from where they crossed the Red Sea for export to various regions. Consequently, the port of Mocha naturally became the hub of the coffee world.

Since the gunny sacks containing coffee beans were marked with "MOCHA" to certify they were transported from the port of Mocha, Europeans collectively referred to the delicious coffee beans from Mocha port as "mocha coffee." This also explains why early mocha became synonymous with coffee. Mocha coffee beans are known for their small size and rich aroma. After deep roasting, they exhibit strong acidity and mellow flavor, moderate aftertaste, and rich chocolate-like notes.

The Italian mocha coffee we speak of today, however, traces back to 18th century Italy. At that time, due to the Dutch introducing coffee to Southeast Asia and the French bringing coffee to South America, the port of Mocha lost its monopoly on coffee. Additionally, under Ottoman rule during the mid to late periods, mocha beans became scarce in Europe.

To mimic the chocolate notes in mocha coffee beans, some experimented with adding cocoa powder to coffee for blending. Later, with the emergence of espresso machines and the growing worldwide popularity of espresso-based specialty coffees, this chocolate-infused milk coffee also became an important member of the Italian menu.

Italian Mocha Coffee Took Shape During the Second Wave

As Italian coffee sparked popular trends, chain coffee shops emerged one after another and began sweeping the globe. During this period, coffee quality varied significantly. To meet the surge in market demand for coffee, these shops chose to use blended beans from multiple origins. Through heavy (deep) roasting to bring out the golden crema and roasted aromas, they not only reduced costs but also provided consistent coffee with uniform flavor. This was when bitterness and caffeine became the impression most people had of coffee.

To mask the intense bitterness in coffee, sweet elements naturally became essential. Condiments like syrup, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and cream became important ingredients in beverage development.

Traditional Italian mocha coffee is based on espresso and hot milk, with chocolate-based flavorings added, which could be cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate. The coffee surface is often topped with whipped cream, then drizzled with chocolate sauce or sprinkled with cinnamon powder and marshmallows for decoration. The addition of chocolate and cream not only enriched the drink's layers but also neutralized the bitterness of the coffee, making it highly favored by consumers.

Why Is Mocha Becoming Less Common Now?

Let's fast-forward to the third wave of coffee. The emergence of specialty coffee concepts emphasized the flavor characteristics of single-origin coffees, while also focusing on the different experiences brought by coffee cultivation and processing methods. Through improvements across all stages, coffee bean quality was enhanced. To express the uniqueness of coffee itself, beans were no longer predominantly dark-roasted, and brewing methods became diverse, such as pour-over.

Additionally, in recent years, the promotion of healthy eating emphasizing reduced or sugar-free options has continued. Diets high in sugar and calories have gradually been replaced. Therefore, mocha coffee, which had its coffee flavor masked by additives and contained relatively high sugar content, was naturally "phased out" by the market.

Although the classic Italian mocha is indeed fading, people's love for rich chocolate flavor remains. We can notice that besides espresso coffees that naturally contain dark chocolate notes from the beans themselves, coffee specials directly paired with chocolate have become more prevalent.

Summer is Perfect for Iced Mocha~

Considering that ingredients are not easy to preserve, mocha coffee has been removed from FrontStreet Coffee's permanent menu. Whenever craving sweet milk coffee, FrontStreet Coffee makes itself an iced mocha. The materials needed for making iced mocha are not complex: double shot espresso + chocolate sauce + 200g fresh milk + ice cubes.

First, prepare a transparent glass and coat the walls with chocolate sauce, add ice cubes and half of the milk. Then, dissolve 10 grams of chocolate sauce in the extracted espresso and pour it in. Next, use a French press to froth the remaining iced milk until smooth, skim off the large bubbles floating on the surface, and pour until nearly full. Finally, use chocolate sauce to carve patterns, and a rich, fragrant, and sweet iced mocha is completed.

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