Before anything, let’s answer the question – “what is the difference between a latte and a mocha?”
Latte is a drink perfect for those who do not desire the full-strength coffee hit. A latte is a milk-based drink with a little amount of coffee in it.
On the other hand, mocha is made with dark chocolatey undertones and provides you with a stronger coffee experience.
If you want to know about all the nooks and crannies of caffeinated beverage specials or become a coffee connoisseur, this is a good place to begin that journey. Even if you are not a seasoned home barista, you are not likely to mix up the caffeine beverages we’re going to talk about here today, latte and mocha.
It will not harm to get a specialist insight into the finer intricacies that grace these two popular drinks. Our article, something of a mocha vs latte discussion underlines the key points between these two. Furthermore, you will find recipes for mocha and latte and a short overview of both drinks’ origins.
How To Make Latte
Instructions
The milk-to-espresso ratio for making a latte is 4:1. That means 2 shots of espresso (which should be about 2 ounces) and 8 ounces of frothed milk poured over it. Many people keep the ratio 3:1 as well (for a stronger espresso taste)! The aftermath is a delicious creamy drink with subtle flavors of coffee. While the lattes are generally served hot, you could also try to make an iced latte. By pouring both milk and espresso over ice. One does not require to froth the milk.
To make a latte, use any of your favorite grounded coffee for making the espresso. Pick out any type of milk you like for the frothing. You can even put on flavored syrups. Here are some steps for making a great quality latte.
- Making a Strongly Brewed Coffee or Espresso: As mentioned in the aforementioned instructions, any kind of firmly brewed espresso made from a capsule machine or a home espresso maker will do. Alternatively, use AeroPress to make strongly brewed coffee which should not be diluted with any water. We recommend usually beginning with about 1/3 cup of espresso
- Frothing The Milk: Pour down milk into the jar. Fill up no more than halfway. Tightly screw the lid on and shake the jar as hard as possible until the milk turns frothy. At this point after 30 – 60 seconds, the milk will have roughly doubled in volume
- Microwaving The Milk: Take the cap off the jar. Microwave it uncovered for 30 seconds. The foam will rise up on top of the milk. Let the warmth from the microwave help to settle it down
- Pouring Warm Milk into Your Espresso: Pour the espresso or coffee into a wide, shallow coffee cup. With the help of a large spoon, hold back the milk foam. Pour as much hot milk as you would wish into the espresso
- Adding Foam: Add as much milk foam as you would like to have onto your latte. Apply to garnish, if desired, with a sprinkle of cocoa or nutmeg powder on top of the foam. Now, start sipping immediately!
Special Recipe Notes
Flavoring Your Latte: If you like to have a flavored or sweetened latte, with some warm milk stir in some syrup. Do this before putting the foam.
Flavoring Ideas: You can put in a teaspoon of almond or vanilla extract. Even go for a sweetened flavored syrup such as caramel syrup or maple syrup for your coffee.
Creating latte art is very popular. Many baristas or coffee shops have their signature artworks. Not only baristas, but many coffee enthusiasts also try latte art at home. Though it is not very easy, practice makes a man perfect!
How To Make Mocha
Preparations And Some Easy Tricks
- Chocolate: Do not cut corners on ingredients. Save the inexpensive chocolate syrup for the ice cream. Your at-home mocha should deserve to be topped with real chocolate. Feel free to use any of your good-quality personal favorites for this
- Fresh Coffee: It is crucial to use freshly roasted coffee beans to steer clear of a stale, burnt flavor. It requires a whole lot of cream and chocolate to mask the taste of coffee that’s gone bad. And remember, coffee has two weeks of shelf life only
- Customize It in Your Own Way: If you want to experiment, try adding some cocoa or chocolate powder to your freshly ground coffee in its filter. Do this before brewing to get a more infused taste of chocolate
- A Touch of Class: The picks of coffee and chocolate pairings are almost limitless! For a classical taste of mocha, try to go for a dark roast coffee. Pair it with a simple cocoa powder or dark chocolate
Mocha Coffee Recipe
1 cup of brewed coffee, 4 tablespoons of your preferred chocolate shavings or roughly 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, 1/2 cup of milk or cream.
With any amount of chocolate or milk, you can make this work. As long as you maintain roughly 1 part of chocolate to 2 parts of milk ratio.
How To Prepare
From here on, it’s pretty simple! Brew 8 ounces of coffee with your usual brew method.
Add the hot chocolate to your milk. Let it heat up slowly by using a microwave or a double boiler. If you are melting in a microwave, heat up the mix for 30-second intervals and stir. Keep stirring until a creamy texture is achieved and fully combined.
Add the warm milk and hot chocolate mixture to the coffee. Now, relax and enjoy!
Variations
You can add chocolate shavings and whipped cream on top to amplify a fancy coffee shop-grade mocha.
If you own an espresso machine, the orthodox Italian mocha drink calls for simply layering an espresso shot, then cold cream, and finally, melted or shaved chocolate on top. It does not require mixing! Then you can drink the espresso along with a layer of chocolate and cream.
What Is The Difference Between A Latte And A Mocha?
The primary differentiator of the mocha vs latte issue is the attendance of chocolate in a mocha. Both of the coffee drinks do possess an espresso foundation. A latte adds in steamed milk mostly and frothed milk. Additionally, it could also be flavored with sugary syrups. A mocha adds steamed milk, chocolate, and frothed milk to the espresso.
The caffè mocha is denser and more decadent. Because of the presence of chocolate in them. It can be constructed with chocolate syrup, cocoa, or pieces of chocolate. It is sometimes garnished with whipped cream instead of foam, making out more like a dessert item than a cup of coffee. It has most of its popularity inside the United States.
Some people pick a latte over a mocha. Simply because of the absence of sweetness in it. Other consumers appreciate both. But at different times of the day. We can say that generally lattes can be enjoyed more because they are not as high in calories and are lighter.
So if you are not particularly fond of decadent coffee or sweetness then we are on the same boat here. However, we must admit also that indulging in a mocha every now and then, counting it as a dessert item is pretty acceptable.
A Latte is a terrific pick-me-up type of drink during the day. Meanwhile sipping a cup of mocha is better enjoyed after a lengthy day at work. Because it gives you the feeling as if you are truly treating yourself when you sit down and enjoy one. Ultimately, It is really a subject of preference. Both drinks can be made to your liking by customizing the ratio of milk, the quantity of syrup used, and finally the flavors.
Wrapping Up
Mochas and lattes are popular in many coffee outlets all over the world. But if you are one of those types of people who normally stick with a straight casual cup of joe, these various fancy drinks may all seem alike to you. In conclusion, the latte is a drink perfect if you do not like to have the full kick of coffee.
You can pick a latte as it is a milk-based drink with a bit of coffee in it. Mocha will be the opposite of the latte as it will give a strong coffee punch with a pronounced dark chocolate flavor.
Ultimately, between mocha vs latte, you can like either latte or mocha, because you are the master of your own choice. We wish your coffee experience will be elevated as a result of this reading.
Happy Brewing!