Mocha Chocolata Ya Ya!

Chocolate and coffee have a natural affinity. Phil Wain showcases just how special a mocha can be

- Phil Wain

Despite Lady Marmalade’s best efforts, mocha may not be the first thing on your lips when you place an order in a speciality coffee shop. But the combination of chocolate and coffee can be transcendent as well as indulgent. Part of that is textural, as the smooth chocolate combines with just the right amount of espresso to add complexity and intensity.

The mocha is named after a Yemeni port that played a crucial role in the development of coffee as it spread throughout the Islamic world. It was first recorded as the name for a mixture of coffee and chocolate in 1849, although no one knows why. Typically, it contains espresso and is served hot and sweetened, although there are regional variations, such as Turin’s bicerin, which layers espresso, drinking chocolate and milk in a glass.

Caffeine asked three leading coffee shops to design mochas for us – we were delighted with the results and we are sure you will be too. Each of these cocktails (for what else is a mocha?) highlights flavour and origin while pairing specific flavours. The drinks are all available to buy for a limited period at the cafés in question.

Store Street Espresso

Peter Andrews and Ioannis Theodorakis considered the flavour notes of the Rococo hot chocolate they serve at Store Street Espresso to find the perfect pairing. Rococo Chocolates, based in Belgravia, uses chocolate from a variety of makers. The hot chocolate is made from shavings from its own bars and is a blend that includes beans from Peru and the Dominican Republic, as well as chocolate from the Grenada Chocolate Company. The deep, fruity flavours of the chocolate proved a perfect match for the Sasaba, an Ethiopian natural from Guji roasted by Bonanza Coffee in Berlin.