Mocha – Probably the biggest misunderstanding in the coffee world
Hardly any other term is as well known and yet as ambiguous and misunderstood as the term mocha. This is also evident in the various spellings, which range from mocha, moka, mocca, moca, mocha to mucha. Mocha refers to a city, a variety, a method of preparation, a coffee blend, a flavour, a bean shape and a drink.
MOKKA – THE CITY
Firstly, the term mocha originates from the port city in south-western Yemen, which is believed to have emerged from the ancient port city of Muza. In the meantime, the once flourishing city on the Red Sea has almost sunk into insignificance. Al-Muchá or al-Muhá, as the city with a population of just under 15,000 is called in Arabic today, was once Yemen's most important export port for coffee, which was named after this port city of Mocha. The city, which is located just 12 metres above sea level, offered accommodation and excellent trading opportunities to a wide variety of Christian, Jewish and Arab merchants. Its decline began in 1820 with the occupation by British marines and the subsequent relocation of the naval base to Aden in 1839 due to the associated port expansion. The city's old trading houses have since been left to decay and are slowly sinking into the sand of the adjacent Tihama Desert. For a long time, the entire world production of coffee, which mostly grew wild in Ethiopia and was later also cultivated on plantations in Yemen, was exported exclusively via Mocha.In order to prevent other countries from growing coffee, coffee beans in Yemen were doused with hot water before export to prevent them from germinating. Treated in this way, the coffee left the Yemeni port city of Mocha and was shipped all over the world, making the term ‘mocha’ synonymous with strong coffee with fruity cocoa notes.
MOCHA – THE VARIETY
Mocha coffee grows throughout Ethiopia, which is why coffee from Ethiopia is always referred to as ‘Ethiopian mocha’. A distinction can be made between different growing regions and varieties with the same name. It is botanically controversial whether mocha is a species (‘Coffea mocha’) or a variety (‘Coffea Arabica var. mocha’, [from the Tipica line]). The majority of authors currently classify mocha as one of the Arabica varieties, although there are clear indications that it should be considered a separate species. The largest growing areas are Sidamo, Limu, Gimba/Gimma, Lekempti, Yirgacheffe, Bonga and Harar. Two botanically distinct groups can be distinguished – a north-western and a south-eastern group, which developed separately geographically due to the ‘Great Rift Valley’ and have retained their distinctiveness without genetic mixing.The qualities of Ethiopian mochas are described according to the processing method (dry or wet processing) and regional origin. In recent years, Ethiopian wild coffee in particular has been making a name for itself. Ethiopian mocha coffees are characterised by a distinctive body, strong cocoa notes and balanced fruit tones (blackcurrant, blackberry, jostaberry, black cherry, etc.) and, depending on the terroir, also have floral, jasmine-like aromas. In Ethiopia, mocha is always served as part of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. The coffee is first freshly roasted on a metal pan over glowing coals, crushed in a wooden mortar and later boiled in a clay pot (jebanna). Coffee is traditionally served with popcorn or roasted grain (kolo), which is also freshly prepared over the embers on the coffee pan. The coffee is drunk from small cups without handles (most of these cups now come from China) and in many regions of Ethiopia (Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Golocha, etc.) it is mixed with fresh wild herbs. Until recently, Ethiopian coffees were traded centrally through the state Coffee Authority in Addis Ababa, where they were first prepared for export, classified, quality assessed and auctioned. The Harar Mokkas were an exception, as they were traded via the Oromo capital Dire Dawa (Dirre Dhawaa) in the north-east, Ethiopia's second largest city, rather than via Addis Ababa, and were mostly destined for the Arab market.
MOKKA – PREPARATION
In addition to the variety, mocha also refers to a method of preparation. Turkish mocha is one of the oldest preparation methods and belongs to the group of leaching methods. The coffee, ground to a fine powder or dust, is poured into an open pot (the cezve, ibrik or briki) with water and boiled. In most countries in the eastern Mediterranean region, the coffee is mixed with plenty of sugar. These coffees are often flavoured with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, allspice or other spices. In some Arab countries, rose water is also added to coffee prepared in this way. In the Turkish city of Bursa, the most elegant cezves are still made of copper, which also produces a unique taste due to its special galvanic properties. In North Africa, brass pots are also commonly used and widespread.
Greek mocha originated from Turkish mocha and usually differs only in the amount of sugar added (glycos, metrios or sketos), whereby even ‘metrios’ or ‘semi-sweet’ has a sugar concentration that can easily overwhelm an untrained Central European palate. In some cafés, the briki is heated in a heated sand bath to distribute the heat as evenly as possible to the coffee. However, only a few cafés in the major Greek cities still prepare mocha in the traditional way. Instant coffee has replaced traditional preparation in many places and is now slowly being revalued by modern coffee shops.
MOKKA – THE DESIGN LEGEND
The Italian ‘Moka Express’ aluminium coffee pot developed in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti (1888–1970) remains legendary to this day. According to the company, over 300 million of these octagonal pots have been sold worldwide since 1950. The pot is available in various sizes depending on volume, as a 1-cup pot, 2-cup pot, 3-cup pot, 6-cup pot, 9-cup pot, 12-cup pot and 18-cup pot. The most common sizes are 3, 6 and 9 cups. The process is classified as a pressure method and works with the steam pressure generated by heating. The disadvantage of this is the excessive brewing temperature, which does not allow for controlled extraction without burning the coffee, thus always developing a harsh to bitter taste profile. Due to the material used (aluminium), the pots are repeatedly the subject of debate because of possible health risks. Many pots in different shapes are now also made of stainless steel instead of aluminium. The mocha pot is also known as a caffètièra and is found in almost every Italian household. The latest models now also have a milk frothing function so that not only espresso but also cappuccino or latte macchiato can be prepared.Moka pots are particularly popular with students due to their low purchase price. Over time, the sealing rings in the moka pot become cracked and brittle – but these can be purchased for little money from coffee specialists. So there is no reason to throw away the entire moka pot when it starts to leak.
MOKKA – THE BLEND
Germany also has an old mocha tradition. This began with the limited availability of coffee in the 17th and 18th centuries and the centralised roasting culture that resulted from bans on home roasting. The industrial roasting companies that emerged were unable to obtain genuine mocha coffee (from Ethiopia) and tried to imitate the taste by blending other origins – in some cases by mixing roasts with cocoa beans. At the beginning of the 18th century, French soldiers of the Grande Armée marching through the Palatinate under Napoleon drank this coffee blend and called it ‘Mocca faux’ (fake mocha), from which the term Muckefuck was later derived. The term took on another negative connotation when it became synonymous with weak, under-dosed coffee served in large floral cups, known as ‘Blümchenkaffee’ (flower coffee), which meant that the term Muckefuck increasingly became a symbol of poor-quality, weak coffee and moved away from its original meaning.
MOKKA – THE SHAPE OF THE BEAN
Since Ethiopian mocha contains a large number of single-seeded coffee beans – i.e. pearl beans – Brazilians associated this bean shape with the term moca. In other countries, spherical, single-seeded beans are referred to as pearl beans, peaberries (PB) or cara coli. In Brazil, pearl beans (moca) are considered undesirable and are sold at lower prices. In all other countries, peaberries are considered a particularly high-quality form of coffee and are sold at significantly higher prices. The reason for this, apart from their distinctive appearance, is the widespread belief that peaberries have a better taste because they have accumulated more flavour compounds due to their single-seed growth. This is not scientifically proven. However, a difference in taste can be achieved with drum roasting, as the bean can absorb the contact-mediated conduction heat more evenly due to its round surface. The formation of aromas through conduction and induction leads to significantly different concentrations and substance classes.
MOCHA – THE DRINK
Caffè Mocha is a cappuccino derivative, meaning it is based on cappuccino with chocolate added. Caffè Mocha is also often referred to as mochaccino. All these drinks have one thing in common: their name, which is derived from the port city of Mocha and has become synonymous with a smooth, balanced coffee with cocoa aromas – mocha. In Austria, the small black coffee, which is actually an espresso prepared in Austria, is also referred to as mocha.
#Mocha #Coffee #CoffeeCulture #CoffeeVariety #EthiopianMocha #CoffeeRecipes #CoffeePreparation # TurkishMocha #GreekMocha #CoffeeCeremony #CoffeeHistory #CoffeeCultivation #CoffeeLovers #CoffeeEnjoyment #CoffeeTradition #MochaCity #CoffeeKnowledge #CoffeeConnoisseurs #CoffeeBlends #CoffeeFlavours #CoffeeTrade #CoffeeLove
MOKKA – THE CITY
Firstly, the term mocha originates from the port city in south-western Yemen, which is believed to have emerged from the ancient port city of Muza. In the meantime, the once flourishing city on the Red Sea has almost sunk into insignificance. Al-Muchá or al-Muhá, as the city with a population of just under 15,000 is called in Arabic today, was once Yemen's most important export port for coffee, which was named after this port city of Mocha. The city, which is located just 12 metres above sea level, offered accommodation and excellent trading opportunities to a wide variety of Christian, Jewish and Arab merchants. Its decline began in 1820 with the occupation by British marines and the subsequent relocation of the naval base to Aden in 1839 due to the associated port expansion. The city's old trading houses have since been left to decay and are slowly sinking into the sand of the adjacent Tihama Desert. For a long time, the entire world production of coffee, which mostly grew wild in Ethiopia and was later also cultivated on plantations in Yemen, was exported exclusively via Mocha.In order to prevent other countries from growing coffee, coffee beans in Yemen were doused with hot water before export to prevent them from germinating. Treated in this way, the coffee left the Yemeni port city of Mocha and was shipped all over the world, making the term ‘mocha’ synonymous with strong coffee with fruity cocoa notes.
MOCHA – THE VARIETY
Mocha coffee grows throughout Ethiopia, which is why coffee from Ethiopia is always referred to as ‘Ethiopian mocha’. A distinction can be made between different growing regions and varieties with the same name. It is botanically controversial whether mocha is a species (‘Coffea mocha’) or a variety (‘Coffea Arabica var. mocha’, [from the Tipica line]). The majority of authors currently classify mocha as one of the Arabica varieties, although there are clear indications that it should be considered a separate species. The largest growing areas are Sidamo, Limu, Gimba/Gimma, Lekempti, Yirgacheffe, Bonga and Harar. Two botanically distinct groups can be distinguished – a north-western and a south-eastern group, which developed separately geographically due to the ‘Great Rift Valley’ and have retained their distinctiveness without genetic mixing.The qualities of Ethiopian mochas are described according to the processing method (dry or wet processing) and regional origin. In recent years, Ethiopian wild coffee in particular has been making a name for itself. Ethiopian mocha coffees are characterised by a distinctive body, strong cocoa notes and balanced fruit tones (blackcurrant, blackberry, jostaberry, black cherry, etc.) and, depending on the terroir, also have floral, jasmine-like aromas. In Ethiopia, mocha is always served as part of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. The coffee is first freshly roasted on a metal pan over glowing coals, crushed in a wooden mortar and later boiled in a clay pot (jebanna). Coffee is traditionally served with popcorn or roasted grain (kolo), which is also freshly prepared over the embers on the coffee pan. The coffee is drunk from small cups without handles (most of these cups now come from China) and in many regions of Ethiopia (Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Golocha, etc.) it is mixed with fresh wild herbs. Until recently, Ethiopian coffees were traded centrally through the state Coffee Authority in Addis Ababa, where they were first prepared for export, classified, quality assessed and auctioned. The Harar Mokkas were an exception, as they were traded via the Oromo capital Dire Dawa (Dirre Dhawaa) in the north-east, Ethiopia's second largest city, rather than via Addis Ababa, and were mostly destined for the Arab market.
MOKKA – PREPARATION
In addition to the variety, mocha also refers to a method of preparation. Turkish mocha is one of the oldest preparation methods and belongs to the group of leaching methods. The coffee, ground to a fine powder or dust, is poured into an open pot (the cezve, ibrik or briki) with water and boiled. In most countries in the eastern Mediterranean region, the coffee is mixed with plenty of sugar. These coffees are often flavoured with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, allspice or other spices. In some Arab countries, rose water is also added to coffee prepared in this way. In the Turkish city of Bursa, the most elegant cezves are still made of copper, which also produces a unique taste due to its special galvanic properties. In North Africa, brass pots are also commonly used and widespread.
Greek mocha originated from Turkish mocha and usually differs only in the amount of sugar added (glycos, metrios or sketos), whereby even ‘metrios’ or ‘semi-sweet’ has a sugar concentration that can easily overwhelm an untrained Central European palate. In some cafés, the briki is heated in a heated sand bath to distribute the heat as evenly as possible to the coffee. However, only a few cafés in the major Greek cities still prepare mocha in the traditional way. Instant coffee has replaced traditional preparation in many places and is now slowly being revalued by modern coffee shops.
MOKKA – THE DESIGN LEGEND
The Italian ‘Moka Express’ aluminium coffee pot developed in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti (1888–1970) remains legendary to this day. According to the company, over 300 million of these octagonal pots have been sold worldwide since 1950. The pot is available in various sizes depending on volume, as a 1-cup pot, 2-cup pot, 3-cup pot, 6-cup pot, 9-cup pot, 12-cup pot and 18-cup pot. The most common sizes are 3, 6 and 9 cups. The process is classified as a pressure method and works with the steam pressure generated by heating. The disadvantage of this is the excessive brewing temperature, which does not allow for controlled extraction without burning the coffee, thus always developing a harsh to bitter taste profile. Due to the material used (aluminium), the pots are repeatedly the subject of debate because of possible health risks. Many pots in different shapes are now also made of stainless steel instead of aluminium. The mocha pot is also known as a caffètièra and is found in almost every Italian household. The latest models now also have a milk frothing function so that not only espresso but also cappuccino or latte macchiato can be prepared.Moka pots are particularly popular with students due to their low purchase price. Over time, the sealing rings in the moka pot become cracked and brittle – but these can be purchased for little money from coffee specialists. So there is no reason to throw away the entire moka pot when it starts to leak.
MOKKA – THE BLEND
Germany also has an old mocha tradition. This began with the limited availability of coffee in the 17th and 18th centuries and the centralised roasting culture that resulted from bans on home roasting. The industrial roasting companies that emerged were unable to obtain genuine mocha coffee (from Ethiopia) and tried to imitate the taste by blending other origins – in some cases by mixing roasts with cocoa beans. At the beginning of the 18th century, French soldiers of the Grande Armée marching through the Palatinate under Napoleon drank this coffee blend and called it ‘Mocca faux’ (fake mocha), from which the term Muckefuck was later derived. The term took on another negative connotation when it became synonymous with weak, under-dosed coffee served in large floral cups, known as ‘Blümchenkaffee’ (flower coffee), which meant that the term Muckefuck increasingly became a symbol of poor-quality, weak coffee and moved away from its original meaning.
MOKKA – THE SHAPE OF THE BEAN
Since Ethiopian mocha contains a large number of single-seeded coffee beans – i.e. pearl beans – Brazilians associated this bean shape with the term moca. In other countries, spherical, single-seeded beans are referred to as pearl beans, peaberries (PB) or cara coli. In Brazil, pearl beans (moca) are considered undesirable and are sold at lower prices. In all other countries, peaberries are considered a particularly high-quality form of coffee and are sold at significantly higher prices. The reason for this, apart from their distinctive appearance, is the widespread belief that peaberries have a better taste because they have accumulated more flavour compounds due to their single-seed growth. This is not scientifically proven. However, a difference in taste can be achieved with drum roasting, as the bean can absorb the contact-mediated conduction heat more evenly due to its round surface. The formation of aromas through conduction and induction leads to significantly different concentrations and substance classes.
MOCHA – THE DRINK
Caffè Mocha is a cappuccino derivative, meaning it is based on cappuccino with chocolate added. Caffè Mocha is also often referred to as mochaccino. All these drinks have one thing in common: their name, which is derived from the port city of Mocha and has become synonymous with a smooth, balanced coffee with cocoa aromas – mocha. In Austria, the small black coffee, which is actually an espresso prepared in Austria, is also referred to as mocha.
#Mocha #Coffee #CoffeeCulture #CoffeeVariety #EthiopianMocha #CoffeeRecipes #CoffeePreparation # TurkishMocha #GreekMocha #CoffeeCeremony #CoffeeHistory #CoffeeCultivation #CoffeeLovers #CoffeeEnjoyment #CoffeeTradition #MochaCity #CoffeeKnowledge #CoffeeConnoisseurs #CoffeeBlends #CoffeeFlavours #CoffeeTrade #CoffeeLove