Mocha Coffee: Learn About the Source and Try Our Recipes for Making Great Mochas

Depending on how we look at it, mocha coffee may be the tall drink made of coffee, cocoa and milk, often served with cream or, on the other hand mocha coffee may refer to the source.

Grown along steep terraced hillsides at an altitude of anywhere from 3,000 to 7,000 feet, the harvested fruit is a small, hard coffee bean. No doubt about it, for one reason or another, it is know the world over. Some connoisseurs consider the Yemeni beans the best that money can buy. Yemen is the source of true Mocha coffee.

No doubt about it, authentic Mocha coffee is a pleasure to drink. Due to the harsh hot dry climate, the coffee beans are as unique as its distinct taste. From the varieties available Mocha Sanani and Mocha Mattari are considered the finest. The name itself originates from the Yemeni port town on the Red Sea.

So, whilst many people may not be totally familiar with the origins of Mocha coffee, I think most people have heard about or tried and fallen in love with the drink.

Make your own Mocha coffee and enjoy the unique flavor and aroma

Make your own Mocha coffee and enjoy the unique flavor and aroma

Mocha coffee is really easy to make and we are pleased to offer a couple of recipes to get you on your way. Basically all you need to do is add cocoa, sugar and milk to hot coffee, perhaps experiment with some other tastes and drink. Others prefer to actually mix the cocoa, sugar, milk and coffee in a saucepan and heat until it starts to simmer.

At this point, try adding a little vanilla extract. Pout into cups or glasses and top with whipped cream and cinnamon. The taste will surprise you, you will find the flavor wonderfully rich and very aromatic. In order to make things a little easier, these are the list of ingredients for two servings.

2 cups of coffee

1/3 cup of cocoa

2 cups of milk

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of whipping cream

dash of cinnamon

2 cups of coffee

1/3 cup of cocoa

2 cups of milk

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of whipping cream

dash of cinnamon

1/3 cup of cocoa

2 cups of milk

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of whipping cream

dash of cinnamon

2 cups of milk

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of whipping cream

dash of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of whipping cream

dash of cinnamon

1/2 cup of whipping cream

dash of cinnamon

dash of cinnamon

Prepare the ingredients as mentioned above and the results will be a fantastic Mocha coffee that will put any coffee house's version to shame.

Coffee: From Harvest to Cup

Coffee is a plant. However, before it can be drunk it must pass through a number of stages and travel thousands of miles.

Coffee beans come from the red cherries of the coffea bush. Each cherry usually contains two seeds, or coffee beans. The exception to this is the Peaberry, where only one bean is produced. The flavour a bean produces is affected by where the coffea bush is grown. Soil, climate and altitude all alter the way coffee tastes; this is why, for example, coffee from Columbia will differ in taste from region to region and from year to year.

Most coffee comes from two species of the coffea bush: Coffea arabica, simply known as ‘arabica'; and Coffea canephora var. robusta, simply known as ‘robusta'. Robusta beans are cheaper to buy then arabica beans because they produce coffee with an inferior flavour, containing more caffeine.

When the red cherries have been harvested from the coffea bush, the outer layers of pulp and skin must be removed to reveal the green coffee beans inside. There are two common methods of doing this: the ‘natural' or dry method, and the ‘washed' or wet method. The natural process of removal tends to give coffee a full-bodied yet mild aroma, whereas the washed process yields strongly aromatic coffee, with a fine body and a lively acidity.

In the washed method the outer pulp is removed using a mechanical pulping machine before the cherry is immersed into a fermentation tank for between 12 to 32 hours, after which the remaining pulp and skin is washed off, revealing the green bean. Finally, the bean is left out in a sunny area for between 12 to 15 days to dry.

In the natural method, the cherry is simply left to dry out in the sun for up to four weeks. During this time the pulp and skin become shrivelled and can then be easily removed.

The coffee beans are then sorted and graded by size and density. Generally the larger the coffee beans the better the coffee. The largest bean is known as ‘Maragogype' or Elephant bean. There is no international grading system for coffee beans, with different countries using alternative systems. For example, in many African countries, the highest grade of coffee is AA, whereas, in Indonesia it is Grade 1.

Green coffee beans must first be roasted before they can be used to make a cup of coffee. The roasting process produces the primary flavour and aroma of coffee. Beans are roasted by a skilled coffee roaster, who judges how long to roast the beans in order to produce the optimum taste. For example, Javanese coffee is usually roasted for a lengthy time to give it a full-bodied and earthy flavour. However, if heat is applied to the beans for too long, it will destroy this flavour and give it a burnt aroma.

The final process before you can enjoy your cup of coffee is grinding. The coffee beans need to be ground ready to infuse, using your preferred brewing method. Different brewing methods require a different coarseness of coffee in order to produce the best possible taste. For example, using a cafetiere you need coarse coffee grounds, whereas when using a stove-top espresso maker you require a much finer grind.

James Grierson is the owner of Galla Coffee: http://www.gallacoffee.co.uk - Uk online retailer of designer coffee accessories. Through the Coffee Knowledge section of his website he aims to help people understand more about coffee and give them tips on how to make great tasting coffee in their home.

http://www.gallacoffee.co.uk