Ever wonder what a soy mocha latte would taste like? What even is mocha, anyway? Is it the same thing as coffee? Stick with us, because we're giving you the scoop on taste and texture as well as some other tidbits you may not have known about mocha.
Let's dive right in...
What Does Mocha Taste Like?
When something is referred to as mocha flavored, it's because it blends the flavors of chocolate and coffee. It's sweet like chocolate but with the roasty qualities of a cup of coffee.
Sometimes the word "mocha" is applied to desserts and beverages that don't really taste like coffee at all. It may depend on how sensitive your palate is to coffee, but it's possible that a simple chocolate dessert could be labelled as "mocha," perhaps to sound a little more interesting.
Is Mocha Coffee or Chocolate?
It's a little bit of both. The term "mocha" is often used as a flavor descriptor, so ingredients may vary depending on what the product is. There may be no coffee in it at all, but rather flavors that mimic the taste of the roasted coffee bean.
Similarly, you can have a coffee-based beverage, for example, that's called "mocha" because it has naturally occurring or added chocolate notes. This is one of the reasons the word "mocha" can be so confusing. Thinking of it in terms of coffee flavor and chocolate flavor together can be more useful.
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Mocha Texture
Mocha powders will have the same consistency of cocoa powder, but if you add a touch liquid, they'll turn into thin pastes. If you've got a natural mocha powder, it may even be a little silty. Mocha syrups can have a more viscous quality.
When you're enjoying mocha flavor in the finished product, you really won't get any specific texture that may have been associated with the mocha itself. Like other flavorants, mocha can only be detected in taste.
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What’s the Difference Between Mocha and Latte?
The word "mocha" can be both very similar to and different from the word "latte" in definition. Swing into any coffee shop and you'll almost invariably see the famous mocha latte on the list of offerings.
This sweet beverage is a blend of espresso, steamed milk (cafes usually have vegan milk options available) and chocolate powder or syrup. If you order one of these tasty coffee drinks, make sure that whatever is used as the "mocha" (chocolate) flavor part is vegan.
When we're not talking mocha lattes, mocha has little to do with an actually latte, which is espresso and steamed milk (or cold milk and ice cubes if it's an iced latte). The connecting factor is the coffee flavor, but "mocha" may be used to describe a "mocha latte," as in: "The almond milk mocha I got at the cafe this morning kept me wide awake through lunch."
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How to Use Mocha in Your Kitchen
Mocha flavor is perfect for coffee and desserts, adding a bit of a "grown-up" flavor to chocolaty treats. Below are two videos that'll show you how go about using mocha in your kitchen.
You'll see how to make three types of mocha lattes in this video: a frozen cashew milk mocha, a blended coconut mocha and a hot coconut white mocha using simple ingredients like coffee, coconut milk, cocoa powder and agave. Brilliant!
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This video is going to show you how to make fabulous raw vegan mocha ice cream bars. You'll need a few specialty items, including raw cacao (though you can use cocoa powder instead), coconut oil and coconut cream. You'll be shocked at how good these things are.
Wrap Up
Mocha can be a bit of a confusing term as it's sometimes used interchangeably with "mocha latte," but in general, mocha is a term applied to the blended flavors of chocolate and coffee in a food or beverage product. No need to drop big bucks on a vegan mocha at the cafe—you can make your own fabulous vegan mocha lattes at home with some cocoa powder, sugar and nondairy creamer added into your coffee.
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Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
