Wondering what a mochaccino is ? Does no one around you know ? Do you feel lost, confused ?
You're not alone. Pretty much the entire internet is confused as just what this coffee is. No one can really make up their mind, and we've all got our pet theory about it.
So let's explore this topic a little, to try and figure out this mysterious cup of coffee. It's definitely got everyone confused, so we might just be doing a public service here.
Table of Contents
What is mochaccino ?
Most folks agree it's a spin on the traditional mocha drink. Or that it at least contains some amount of chocolate or cocoa powder.
Judging by the name, mochaccino also sounds like it's related to the cappuccino.
The problem is that no one's got a clear, straight recipe for this drink.
Remember how I said the frappe was a very loose recipe, more of a guideline than anything else ? Well, mochaccino takes the cake here.
Both a quick and a thorough search online will net you very few conclusive results. I've found opinions from folks all around the world as to what the mochaccino might be.
Some claim it's a shorter latte with some chocolate sauce added.
Others claim it's a very milky drink with cocoa powder, mostly meant for kids.
Others say it's really just a mocha with a fancy name.
In the end, this whole drink sounds like it might just be a brand's personal take on regular mocha coffee.
A bit like how Starbucks patented the frappuccino - neither a cappuccino nor a frappe not a milkshake. Just their own version of a frothy coffee.
As for mochaccino, no one really knows what brand it belongs to, if it is indeed an invented name.
The most relevant result I've been able to find is a type of Nespresso coffee pods, named mocaccino, instead of mochaccino.
I'm not taking that as conclusive results, so we're back to the drawing board.
Is mochaccino different from mocha, then ?
Alright, despite no one really knowing what this drink is, most folks agree it's got at least some amount of chocolate or cocoa in it.
Whether it's because there really is meant to be some, or because they think it's related to mocha, I'm not sure.
But I think a mochaccino can be different from a regular mocha, yes.
Simply because it's got the -ccino at the end, making me think of thick microfoam from a cappuccino.
Okay, so what does this mean ?
Well...
You can make your own mochaccino
Well if no one's got a recipe... then there's no one to tell you you've made your coffee wrong.
This means you can pretty much invent you mochaccino.
What I'm going to do here is jot down the recipe I use when making this drink. I use the blend between mocha and cappuccino here, to guide my proportions and ingredients.
So a regular mocha is:
- 1 part espresso
- 1 part chocolate sauce or hot chocolate
- 1 part milk foam
And a cappuccino is:
- 1 part espresso
- 4 parts steamed and frothed milk
What do we get by combining these two drinks ?
- 1 part espresso
- 1 part chocolate sauce/hot chocolate
- 2 parts steamed/frothed milk
You can of course add any garnish you like. Judging by the way folks usually garnish their mocha, you could go with chocolate-oriented toppings like cocoa powder, cinnamon, chocolate sprinkles.
The overall serving size oz this drink should be about 5 oz/150 ml.
Okay, now let's actually make a mochaccino !
1. Brew coffee, prep milk
You need brewed coffee, fresh and hot.
I did say espresso in the ratio/recipe part, and this is because anything other than espresso will result in a very weak coffee what will get overpowered by the chocolate and milk.
That being said, you can totally use other coffee types. Just know the flavor will be a little different.
If you want to make this drink larger than 5 oz/150 ml, remember to keep the ratio the same.
So brew your coffee as you normally would, in any way you like. Espresso is recommended, but no one's going to judge you if you use something else.
Then, prep your milk. Ideally, this is steamed and frothed milk. A thorough guide on how to do that is here.
You can add the steamed milk to the coffee in this stage as well, and prepare everything in the cup you're going to serve from.
2. Add chocolate/cocoa
Prep your chocolate sauce or cocoa powder.
Depending on what you add, it might be wise to add it to the coffee beforehand, like if you're using raw cacao powder.
If using that, add the cacao powder, then drink a bit of coffee, stir, drip more coffee, then stir again until you get a thick paste. Then add the rest of the coffee, stir well, and add the milk.
Raw cacao is bitter and will require lots of sugar if you want to sweeten it.
Using something like Nesquick or a similar instant cocoa powder will get you there easier.
If using regular chocolate sauce, make sure it's not the thick kind. We don't want it sinking to the bottom of the cup and having a hard time dissolving.
3. Combine and garnish
In the serving cup, you should now have:
- coffee
- a form of cocoa or chocolate
- steamed and frothed milk
Give everything a light stir, just to combine the flavors.
If you want to garnish, you can use a bit of cocoa powder on top of the frothed milk as a nice dusting.
Or, if you're feeling super fancy you can add a bit of whipped cream on top as well, and drizzle a bit of chocolate sauce over it. Go nuts !
Conclusion
I hope I managed to clear things up for you, even if it means that no one can give us a straight answer.
At least we know now to look too hard anymore, or at least not take the drink too seriously.
If you want to know more about coffee or tea, feel free to check the related articles below. Who knows what else you might find ?
