The Great Taste of Cafe Mocha

A Cafe mocha or Mocha is a variant of a caffe latte, but a portion of chocolate is added, typically in the form of chocolate syrup. When bought from a vending system, instant chocolate powder is used. Mocha's can contain dark or milk chocolate.

At the simplest level, a Cafe Mocha means either adding chocolate to your coffee, or adding a shot of espresso coffee to your hot chocolate. In the latter case, the best Cafe Mocha is not made with drip-brewed coffee but rather Italian-brewed espresso.

There are many reasons why espresso is a better complement to chocolate than regular-brewed coffee. Espresso has more 'opposing' taste characteristics for a balanced but bold flavor. If you simply add chocolate to your coffee, there won't be as much flavor in the coffee that counters the chocolate and it will end up tasting like an 'off' mix of the two.

Cafe Medici

Cafe Medici

The Cafe Medici starts with a double shot of espresso extracted using a double filter basket in a portafilter that is poured over chocolate syrup and orange or lemon peel, which is usually topped with whipped cream. This drink originated at Seattle's historic Last Exit on Brooklyn coffeehouse.

European Café au Lait

Cafe au lait is a French term which means “coffee on milk.” In Europe, "café au lait" stems from the same continental tradition as "caffè latte" in Italy, "café con leche" in Spain, "kawa biała" ("white coffee") in Poland, "Milchkaffee" in Germany, "Grosser Brauner" in Austria, "koffie verkeerd" in Netherlands, and "café com leite" in Portugal, simply "coffee with milk". In northern Europe, café au lait is the name most often used in coffee shops. It is a coffee beverage consisting strong or bold coffee (sometimes espresso) mixed with scalded milk in approximately a 1:1 ratio. It is used to refer to a beverage made with strong fresh coffee and hot milk. Many former French colonies offer cafe au lait as a staple accompaniment to breakfast, as do regions with large French populations. Cafe au lait should not be confused with a latte, a drink made with espresso, not strong coffee. This can lead to confusion in a coffeehouse especially, so do not be afraid to be specific about what you are asking for.

To make cafe au lait, milk is scalded and poured into a cup simultaneously with coffee. Because the two are poured together, rather than layered, the resulting drink is thoroughly mixed. It can be drunk plain or sweetened, depending on personal taste. In some regions,chicory is mixed with the coffee beans for a characteristic bitter bite. This is especially common in Louisiana.

Many nations have a variation of the cafe au lait, which is in an intermediate zone between brewed black coffee and blended coffee drinks. All of the variations mix fresh coffee with hot milk, and the name usually indicates this. In Germany, for example, cafe au lait is known asMilchkaffee, or “milk coffee.” Some coffee shops refer to the beverage as a misto, or blend.