The Classic Mocha Is A Coffee Shop Staple, But What Is It?

If you make frequent stops at coffee shops, you've probably heard the term "mocha" plenty of times. But if the drink isn't your go-to order, you may not be totally familiar with the flavors. If you have a major sweet tooth, though, you may want to give the drink a try. A traditional cafe mocha — often shorted simply to "mocha" — is made from espresso, milk, and chocolate.

To make a mocha, start with a few shots of espresso in a mug. One or two is the standard, but an extra can always be added for a bonus caffeine kick. Then, pour two tablespoons of chocolate syrup or a quarter cup of shaved chocolate in for sweetness, and mix it in with the espresso shots. Once the coffee and chocolate have been blended, steam a cup of milk and pour it over the sweetened espresso blend. If you don't own a steamer, or you just prefer cold coffee, you can also add the espresso, chocolate, and milk into a blender with some ice to make a mocha frappuccino with some whipped cream for good measure.

The term "mocha" is actually thanks to a city in Yemen. The port city of Mocha was a major exporter of a select variety of coffee beans between the 15th and 18th centuries that would eventually become known as Arabica coffee. Those beans made their way out of Yemen and into other European cities, where — once they made their way from the New World — coffeehouses experimented with adding another kind of bean, the cacao, into the hot beverage. The coffee beans were said to have underlying flavor notes of chocolate, which may have been what prompted the addition of cacao in the first place.

One Italian coffee shop, Caffè al Bicerin, decided to take the flavor notes a little further, actually adding chocolate to the coffee. The drink was called the bicerin, named for its place of invention. It was developed in Turin, Italy in the 1700s and bears a striking resemblance to the modern mocha. The major difference between the two is that while the mocha is typically all mixed together, the bicerin's ingredients are layered separately, and the drinker can choose to mix it as they like before enjoying. 

The mocha has seen a few flavor variations throughout the years, too. Many coffee shops now offer white mocha flavoring, meant to mimic the taste of white chocolate candies. The black-and-white mocha combines both the standard chocolatey flavored mocha with the white mocha flavoring, allowing coffee drinkers to enjoy the tastes of both. Peppermint mocha beverages are also popular around the winter holiday season, adding some fresh minty flavors to the sweet drinks. And, of course, you can always add in other flavors — like vanilla, hazelnut, or caramel — to pair alongside the standard.

While the standard mocha doesn't taste exactly like hot chocolate — thanks to those espresso shots — some mocha drinkers may still want to up the sweetness a little. You can mimic the sweet drink by topping the beverage off with some whipped cream or marshmallows. If you want your morning coffee to wake you up and simultaneously satisfy your sweet tooth, go ahead and try a mocha-flavored drink the next time you stop in your favorite coffee shop.