What's the Difference Between Mocha and Latte in Italian Coffee? How is Traditional Mocha Coffee Made?

You're probably no stranger to the term "Mocha," but in the third and even fourth waves of specialty coffee, it seems increasingly difficult to find this drink on menus. Coincidentally, as the year comes to a close, FrontStreet Coffee has unearthed some long-forgotten chocolate sauce. Let FrontStreet Coffee make a mocha coffee and share with you the past and present of "Mocha Coffee."

What is Mocha Coffee?

Mocha coffee is a coffee beverage made from espresso, milk, and chocolate sauce. The name "Mocha" actually originates from the port of Mocha in Yemen. For over 300 years starting from the 15th century, it was a major commercial port on Yemen's Red Sea coast. Coffee beans grown and produced in Yemen were concentrated here before being exported abroad. Additionally, the port of Mocha would import coffee beans from places like Ethiopia in Africa and then re-export them.

Therefore, coffee exported from Yemen's port of Mocha once accounted for 100% of the world coffee trade. Since the burlap bags containing coffee beans were printed with "MOCHA" logos to prove they were transported from the port of Mocha, major coffee-importing countries like Europe collectively referred to them as "Mocha coffee."

Mocha coffee beans are known for their small size and rich aroma. Combined with the dark roasting of the time, the brewed coffee had a mellow taste, moderate sweetness, and a rich chocolate flavor, which was highly sought after by Europeans.

The Italian mocha coffee we're familiar with today, made with added chocolate sauce, dates back to 18th century Italy. Due to the hostile relationship between the Ottoman Empire and European powers, along with restrictions on coffee beans and the spread of coffee cultivation, the port of Mocha lost its monopoly on coffee. Mocha beans became a scarcity in Europe.

As a result, people tried adding cocoa powder to coffee to imitate the rich chocolate flavor of Mocha coffee beans. Later, with the invention of espresso machines and the gradual worldwide popularity of espresso-based specialty coffees, this chocolate milk coffee naturally became an important member of the Italian coffee family.

Mocha Coffee Shaped During the Second Wave

After World War II, the Italian steam pressure extraction method for espresso became familiar and accepted by people. However, the quality of coffee beans at that time varied. To maintain the stability of coffee products and reduce costs, coffee shops often used blends of beans from multiple origins and employed dark roasting to bring out rich oils and roasted aromas. Therefore, "bitterness" was the common impression coffee left on people at that time.

It's important to know that high-temperature, high-pressure extraction amplifies the advantages (and disadvantages) of coffee beans, and not everyone could directly drink espresso like in coffee's homeland of Italy. To mask the bitterness of coffee and cater to market demands, adding syrups, chocolate sauce, ice cream, cream, and other additives to espresso became an important focus of beverage development. Specialty coffees also became popular worldwide with the proliferation of chain coffee shops.

Traditional mocha coffee is based on espresso and hot milk, with chocolate sauce added as a flavoring agent. Some variations use cocoa powder, dark chocolate, or chocolate-flavored syrup instead of chocolate sauce. It's typically topped with whipped cream and often garnished with cocoa powder, cinnamon, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce. The addition of chocolate and cream not only masks and balances the bitterness of coffee but also adds layers to the beverage, making it highly favored by consumers.

Why Has Mocha Coffee Become Rare?

This is because with the development of the third wave of specialty coffee, while emphasizing the origin of coffee and single-origin flavor characteristics, both industry professionals and consumers have become increasingly concerned about the different tasting experiences brought by coffee cultivation and post-processing methods. After prolonged joint efforts, the quality of coffee beans has improved, and roasting has gradually moved from dark roasting to medium-light roasting that showcase floral and fruity acidity characteristics.

On the other hand, tea, as one of the world's three major beverages, has become active in the domestic market after various milk teas and fruit teas were developed to suit young people's tastes. This has provided more choices for sweet beverages, and the market for mocha coffee has been squeezed and diluted.

With the booming economy in recent years, people have become more concerned about health issues. Low-sugar and sugar-free healthy diets have been continuously promoted, while high-sugar, high-calorie foods have gradually lost market presence and disappeared from our menus. Therefore, mocha coffee, where the coffee flavor is masked by additives and which is inherently high in sugar, has gradually been "eliminated" by the market.

Although the classic Italian mocha coffee has been weakened and faded, beverages that combine coffee and cocoa always have their loyal fans. Besides flavored coffees containing chocolate, coffee specialties made with chocolate are not uncommon.

The Article is Ending, and the Mocha Coffee in Hand is Almost Finished

Although mocha coffee has been permanently removed from FrontStreet Coffee's menu, we happened to find some long-forgotten chocolate sauce, so let's revisit how to make an iced mocha. You only need to prepare double-shot espresso, a little chocolate sauce, 200g of fresh milk, and some ice cubes. If conditions allow, you can also add some cocoa powder or cinnamon.

Take a glass, squeeze chocolate sauce on the inner walls, add ice cubes and 100g of cold milk, then pour in the espresso (pre-mixed with 10g of chocolate sauce), pour in the cold milk foam made with a French press, and finally draw a pattern on the surface of the milk foam with chocolate sauce. A beautiful and delicious iced mocha coffee is ready.

(PS: Draw two concentric circles, one large and one small, draw a cross from inside to outside, then draw an X from outside to inside.)

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FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
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