Coffee is a beverage made from roasted and ground coffee beans. As one of the world's three major beverages, along with cocoa and tea, it is popular worldwide.

The coffee tree belongs to the Rubiaceae family and is a perennial evergreen shrub or small tree. The coffee commonly consumed daily is made using coffee beans combined with various brewing utensils.

Coffee beans refer to the seeds inside the coffee tree fruit, which are roasted using appropriate methods. A standard cup of coffee should not taste bitter. A qualified barista will meticulously carry out each step in the coffee-making process, resulting in coffee served to customers with varying degrees of sweetness, acidity, richness, or cleanness in flavor.

Many people confuse mocha and macchiato. Let's understand them together:

Mocha is an espresso-based beverage containing milk, cocoa powder, or chocolate syrup. Baristas decorate it with chocolate flakes, whipped cream, cinnamon, cocoa, and marshmallows. However, initially, this beverage had a different name.

For a long time, Ethiopia and other countries were the only coffee bean suppliers in the world. Arabica coffee was appreciated for its earthy and chocolatey flavor. It was shipped from the port of Al-Moka to other countries. That's why in Europe, Arabica coffee beans were called "mocha beans."

Coffee beans became increasingly popular in Italy. The flavor of chocolate brought the idea of combining coffee and chocolate to Italians. Thus, in the 18th century, coffee houses in Turin started making coffee using espresso, milk, and melted chocolate or cocoa powder.

In 1892, Betty Crocker's recipe mentioned the combination of coffee and chocolate, calling it "mocha." So more people learned about this beverage, remembering it as "mocha."

In most cases, mocha coffee is a mixture of two shots of espresso with completely melted chocolate and a large cup of frothed milk. Ingredients are layered. Firstly, espresso serves as the base, affecting the beverage's taste. It is best suited for medium or low-acidity coffee varieties. Experts believe that the flavor profile of mocha espresso should be rich, with descriptors of nuts and chocolate.

The best thing about mocha is that its recipe can be customized. For example, the beverage can be made with white chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate. The texture of the coffee will depend on how you consume the chocolate: syrup, powder, shavings, or melted.

Mocha may appeal to those who enjoy sweet drinks and desserts.

Macchiato

Macchiato is a coffee beverage made with espresso and a small amount of milk, usually foamed. Its taste directly depends on the espresso as the base. Therefore, choosing high-quality and professionally roasted beans is crucial. Typically, no sugar is added to this beverage.

Macchiato was first prepared in Italy in the 1980s. Some customers in Italian coffee shops ordered espresso with a little milk. To distinguish the coffee beverages, baristas "marked" the espresso with a drop of milk foam. This is how they came up with the name macchiato, which means "stained" in Italian.

Traditional Italian macchiato is made with one shot of espresso and 15 milliliters of foamed milk. However, industry experts often prepare macchiatos in different ways. Some know macchiato as two shots of espresso with milk foam or one shot of espresso with a dollop of milk foam.

There are more non-standard recipes for a drink called macchiato. For example, caramel macchiato is made with foamed milk, a small amount of espresso, caramel syrup, and flavorings. However, this is more like a milkshake and is completely different from the classic macchiato.

The taste of macchiato will appeal to those looking for a drink that doesn't have a flavor as pronounced as espresso. By adding milk foam instead of milk, the espresso is not diluted too much. The beverage remains rich but is also sweet and creamy.