All your mocha questions answered!

What exactly “mocha” means is both simple and complicated. In most scenarios when someone says mocha, they are referring to a caffè mocha, which is simply a latte flavored with chocolate sauce. It could also mean something flavored with coffee and chocolate, a color that’s a rich brown, or even a specific coffee bean.

What’s the history of the term “mocha?”

Everyone agrees that the term “mocha” originates from the coffee beans grown and exported through the port city of Moka in Yemen as far back as the 17th century. These beans were exported throughout the world and were known for their chocolatey flavor profile.

In my research using Google’s Ngram tool, the term “caffè mocha” or “mocha” to mean a beverage of coffee plus chocolate started to gain traction in the mid-1970s.

Two things were happening around this time.

First, in the early 1970s, what was then General Foods launched their international coffee line of at-home instant coffee beverages. One of the first flavors was called “Suisse Mocha” and featured a flavor profile of Swiss chocolate with the instant coffee.

Secondly, the coffee shop culture as we know it today was also starting to take off. The “mocha” soon became standard in these stores, especially Starbucks.

Are mocha and chocolate the same thing?

All caffè mochas contain chocolate, but not all chocolate is a mocha. If you are ordering a caffè mocha at a coffee shop, what you are asking for is a latte with chocolate flavoring.

What are mocha coffee beans?

Coffee beans called Mocha, as opposed to the drink, is a specific name for a type of coffee bean that originally hailed from the Coffea arabica plant natively found in the country of Yemen.

Are caffè mochas sweet?

Caffè mochas are typically sweet, but depending on the type of chocolate used to flavor the drink, it may be more or less sweet. Some coffee shops may use sweeter milk chocolate, while others may use dark chocolate or anything in between.

Are a mocha and macchiato the same?

No, a caffè mocha and a macchiato are two completely different drinks. A traditional macchiato is an espresso shot or two marked with a dollop of milk.

A macchiato, as far as Starbucks is concerned, is a drink similar to a latte, but the shots of espresso are put on the top of the drink, making a “mark”, rather than at the bottom as in a normal latte.

It would be technically possible to have a mocha macchiato if you ask to add chocolate flavoring to your macchiato. This especially makes sense in the way Starbucks serves macchiatos.

What’s the difference between a mocha and a latte?

The difference between a latte and a caffè mocha is that a caffè mocha includes chocolate flavoring and often whipped cream. The latte is the base drink.

Can a mocha be iced?

Yes, caffè mochas can be served hot or iced.

How is a mocha made?

A caffè mocha, or mocha latte, is made the same way as a typical latte. You’d add the chocolate syrup to the bottom of your cup, add espresso on top, and then frothed milk. The drink is often topped with whipped cream.

How does a mocha taste?

A caffè mocha tastes like hot chocolate with coffee. The specific taste of any mocha is going to depend on the type of chocolate syrup or sauce that the coffee shop uses. Most shops favor a bit of a darker chocolate taste as that pairs well with espresso.

How to pronounce mocha?

In American English, it’s pronounced like mow-ka (/ˈmoʊ.kə/.

What kind of mocha does Starbucks use?

Starbucks calls the chocolate syrup they use mocha sauce. It’s slightly confusing as it’s not technically “mocha” until it’s added to the coffee, but still, that’s what they’ve titled their ingredient.

Starbucks baristas make mocha sauce from a powder base. Each time they need more of the mocha sauce, they mix the powder with water to create a sauce. Most other coffee shops use pre-mixed sauces from companies like Ghirardelli or Torani.

When does the peppermint mocha come out?

The official peppermint mocha at Starbucks comes out with their holiday lineup in early November. But, many shops, including Starbucks, carry both peppermint syrup and chocolate sauce all year, so you can actually order it at any time!

Can you have a mocha without espresso?

A caffè mocha does technically require espresso. But, you can approximate the flavors easily by using any type of brewed coffee. My recipe for a Halloween spiderweb mocha uses espresso or double-strength coffee.

Is mocha stronger than coffee?

Since both dark and milk chocolate contain caffeine, technically a caffè mocha is going to include more caffeine than a similar counterpart flavored differently. But, the amount of caffeine included in chocolate is minimal, so it’s not a difference you’ll notice.

What’s a tuxedo mocha or zebra mocha?

These terms, tuxedo mocha or zebra mocha, refer to mixing both white and milk or dark chocolate in the same drink. If you order a small zebra caffè mocha, your barista would add one pump of milk chocolate sauce and one pump of white chocolate sauce into your mocha.