What is Mocha? (Step by Step Guide to Making it at Home)
- Roasty Caffeine
- 08/04/2021
Mocha coffee is a superior quality coffee drink made from a unique and specific type of coffee bean. Essentially, it’s a combination of coffee and dark chocolate with a milk foam topping.
Are you tired of queuing in a coffee shop just to get a fix of your favorite café Mocha drink? Would you like to know how to make this delicious Mocha coffee drink at home, without an espresso machine? Making this espresso-based drink in the comfort of your home kitchen is a lot easier than you think! Read on to see exactly how easy it is to make this type of coffee!
Brief History of Mocha
Mocha refers to coffee beans imported from the Yemeni port city, Al Moka. Generally, Moka beans consist of a variety of Arabica beans harvested in the mountainous regions of Yemeni near the Red Sea. Since these Mocha coffee beans could only be described as “chocolatey”, Mocha became the household name for this type of coffee.
How to Make Mocha at Home
Making this super tasty coffee drink at home is easy enough to give you a coffee shop quality drink. Let’s see how!
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan
- Thermometer (to ensure milk is at correct temperature)
- Your favorite mug – the bigger, the better!
Ingredients
- Your favorite strong instant coffee or mocha flavored coffee powder
- Cold milk, whipped cream, steamed milk or chocolate milk
- Sugar (to taste)
- Cocoa powder
- Chocolate syrup
- Chocolate sprinkles, chocolate shavings
Simple Steps to Follow
- Make a mixture of coffee, drinking chocolate, cocoa powder and sugar
- Add boiling water to the coffee and hot chocolate mix and stir.
- Steam about 250ml of milk in the saucepan, stirring to ensure it doesn’t boil.
- Once the milk is steamed, add the coffee chocolate mix and stir or whisk to make sure it’s not lumpy.
- You can add the chocolate sauce for a sweeter final drink.
- Add whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles if you prefer.
- For a dark mocha, add a few pieces of dark chocolate and mix until dissolved.
- For a marble mocha, use a mixture of dark and white chocolate.
I’ve added a short clip below to show how easy it is to make this coffee-based beverage!
Making a Peppermint Mocha at Home
Peppermint Mochas are extremely popular with coffee lovers that have sweet tooth. In addition to the above, you’ll need the following:
- 1 tsp peppermint extract (add extra peppermint for a stronger flavor)
- Chocolate syrup (add into the Mocha mix or drizzle over the cream if you prefer)
- Follow the Mocha recipe and add the peppermint extract.
- If you have an espresso machine, you can add an extra shot of espresso for a strong coffee. (Additional shots of espresso will give you the kick you want from your drink).
Once you’ve added the whipped cream, add chocolate shavings or chocolate sprinkles to decorate. You can also add peppermint chocolate shavings for an extra minty taste!
Watch the short clip below to see just how easy it is to make a peppermint mocha!
FAQs about Mocha
Mocha is named after Al Moka, the Yemeni port city it originated from. Yemen was the main coffee port in the 17th century.
In general, Mochas are flavored using a sweet cocoa powder. These days though, baristas in busy high-end coffee shops prefer quality chocolate syrup. Other than that, any type of chocolate can be used, such as milk chocolate, white, semi-sweet, or even dark.
Coffee lovers the world over regard Mocha as their favorite coffee flavor because of its perfect sweet and bitter combination. Bitter coffee combined with sweet chocolate makes the perfect combination!
The Bottom Line
Mocha and other espresso based drinks are quite popular at most coffee shops. Whether you favor a Caffe Mocha, White Mocha, Mocha Latte or Café Late drink, the good news is you can easily make them at home. They’re highly customizable, with a minimal additional cost of ingredients. With a little bit of imagination, you can change your favorite coffee mixed drink just the way you like it!