History of the drink and its taste characteristics
For the first time, residents of Latin American countries began mixing coffee with chocolate. Following them, coffee lovers in all corners of the world began to prepare an invigorating drink from two ingredients. It was originally consumed as a morning cocktail.
The energetic and nutritional properties of the coffee-chocolate drink perfectly awaken and tone, and enhance cognitive abilities. Today, coffee with chocolate is served as a dessert, it is considered a complete snack within a busy schedule and simply a source of inspiration.
A traditional coffee drink with the addition of chocolate is called mocha. In restaurants and coffee shops it is offered under the name mochaccino. There are several spelling options: mokachino or mocochino. The name comes from one of the Arabica varieties, which was distinguished by a chocolate aftertaste. It was delivered from the Yemeni port of Al Moha.
The taste and strength of a coffee-chocolate cocktail depends on the type of chocolate added.
A product with a high cocoa content (more than 70%) emphasizes the bitterness of espresso. The milk bar, dissolving in the drink, gives it a pleasant creamy aftertaste and softens the sourness or bitterness of the coffee beans.
You can use both dark and milk chocolate for the drink.
Natural coffee has minimal calorie content. Various additives add calories to a cup of tasty and aromatic drink. Thus, a serving of mocha with milk contains more than 300 kcal. Many people add cinnamon to the drink and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. This significantly increases the calorie content of the dessert.
Where is chocolate used?
Chocolate is one of the most popular types of food. It is widely used in cooking . It is added to desserts, mousses, cakes, pastries, puddings, and cookies. Many candies are filled or coated with sweetened chocolate. Chocolate is produced in the form of bars and bars. It is used in hot and cold drinks.
Chocolate products often contain aromatic additives (vanillin, cinnamon, cognac, alcohol, coffee), food additives (nuts, raisins, wafers), and filling.
Chocolate is also used in cosmetology . It is included in creams and masks for the face and body. Hot chocolate is used for baths, massages and wraps. The microelements contained in chocolate have a tonic and healing effect on the skin.
Chocolate oil is used in medicine in the treatment of colds as an antitussive, thinning mucus and enhancing the expectorant effect. The oil can be used to treat bronchitis, pneumonia, ARVI, and sore throat. Cocoa butter is used to normalize blood cholesterol levels.
Benefits and contraindications
Mocha is not only a tasty but healthy dessert. Coffee has a tonic effect, and the endorphin contained in chocolate makes it a powerful antidepressant. It also increases hemoglobin levels and is useful for people who have anemia.
Nutritionists advise not to overuse coffee-chocolate cocktails. It has been proven that 2-3 cups of an invigorating drink a day are enough to maintain tone and performance. Consuming larger quantities causes gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Pregnant and lactating women, children and those losing weight should avoid drinking coffee with chocolate. Also, it should not be drunk by people with individual intolerance to the components. Those who suffer from hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes should also limit their consumption of chocolate coffee.
Chemical interactions
There is one caveat to this good news. Coffee, chocolate and even tea should be consumed along with zinc, which combines with them to form a compound that slows down the aging process. This all has to do with the polyphenols found in these three foods. When polyphenols combine with zinc, that's when the magic begins.
It turns out that a combination of zinc and coffee, chocolate or tea (which contain polyphenols) may protect against what researchers call "oxidative stress," which is associated with the aging process. It is also associated with several other diseases and degenerative diseases.
For the first time, researchers were able to imitate the action of the enzyme. Previously, scientists tried to use iron or copper, but the results were negative. The reason seems to be that zinc is less toxic than other metals.
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It is possible that in the future coffee, tea or chocolate may become available with added zinc. But it should be borne in mind that any amount of alcohol can destroy the positive effect of this combination.
Recipes for making coffee with chocolate
There are many recipes for making coffee with chocolate. They differ not only in the list of ingredients, but also in the temperature of the drink. Some people like hot coffee, others prefer cold coffee.
Classic chocolate coffee drink
Classic chocolate-coffee drink
To prepare traditional mocha you will need:
- freshly ground coffee
- chocolate
- sugar
- milk
First you need to brew the espresso. Then you should melt the chocolate bar in a water bath, gradually pouring milk into the container. Without bringing to a boil, the mixture is removed from the heat and added to the coffee. The drink can be sweetened to taste and decorated.
Spicy
Spicy coffee with chocolate and spices
This type of recipe originated in Brazil, where they like to add various spices to coffee.
The drink requires the following components:
- Arabica
- mineral water
- bitter chocolate
- sugar and salt
- cream
- cardamom and cinnamon
Coffee and spices are poured into the Turk, filled with water and placed on low heat. After a couple of minutes, foam should appear on the surface of the liquid. At this point, the Turk is quickly removed from the heat until the foam settles. This action should be repeated twice.
Having brewed the main drink, move on to the second ingredient - chocolate. It, together with the cream, is sent to a water bath. A couple of minutes will be enough to melt the chocolate. The resulting mixture is combined with hot strained espresso and sugar is added if desired.
Drink spicy coffee hot.
Cold moccacino
Cold Moccacino
This cocktail is perfect for cooling and relaxing in the summer heat. To prepare it take:
- ground Arabica or Robusta
- sugar
- mineral water
- cream (whipped)
- milk
- chocolate
- ice
- mint
First the espresso is prepared. Beat milk, sugar and chocolate with a mixer, gradually increasing the speed. After 3-4 minutes you should get a lush cream. Then this mass is mixed with cooled and strained coffee, ice is added, and decorated with whipped cream and mint.
Chocolate and tea are the key to longevity
This is not the first time that research has shown that chocolate and caffeine affect health. A 2021 study by researchers at the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center in Southern California found that eating chocolate may help reduce stress.
This particular study noted that the darker the chocolate, the better. Only dark chocolate has “positive effects on cognition, memory, mood, immunity and other beneficial effects.
Features of preparation and serving
Traditionally, tall dishes are used for this drink.
To prepare mochaccino correctly, you must observe some features of its preparation:
- For real mocha, only natural, freshly ground and freshly brewed coffee is used. If various spices are added to the drink, it should be strained after infusion.
- Melt the chocolate in a water bath with 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream. To prevent the mass from stratifying, the temperature is increased gradually. If you want to serve coffee with pronounced layers, the melted mixture is brought to a thick consistency. The chocolate used should not contain flavorings or other additives. This spoils the taste of the finished drink.
- Milk is used heated (up to 70%) to prevent curdling. If necessary, it can be foamed. The classic recipe calls for twice as much milk as coffee.
Regular coffee shops do not adhere to strict etiquette and serve mocha in a variety of mugs. But in serious establishments they do this according to all the rules. Coffee and chocolate dessert is served in tall glasses with a handle. To get real pleasure, drink the drink through a straw.
You can consume this coffee and chocolate treat at any time of the year. In the summer heat, add a few ice cubes or a scoop of ice cream to mocha.
Coffee with chocolate can be made at home if you have quality ingredients on hand. But it’s much more pleasant to treat yourself to a ready-made delicacy in a good and trusted establishment. In the capital's cafes and restaurants, a serving of mocha costs from 130 to 300 rubles, depending on the level of the establishment and the method of preparing the drink.
Dark chocolate - what is it?
Dark chocolate is a confectionery product based on cocoa butter, which is a product of processing cocoa beans - the seeds of the chocolate tree, rich in theobromine and caffeine.
Source Wikipedia
The birthplace of chocolate is Central and South America. For many centuries, the Mayans and Aztecs mixed ground and roasted cocoa beans with water, and then added hot peppers to the mixture. The result was a bitter, pungent, foamy drink that was drunk cold.
According to one of the most common versions, the word chocolate comes from the Aztec word xocolatl, which means “bitter water.”
A semi-finished product – grated cocoa – is obtained from cocoa beans during technological processing. Cocoa butter is extracted from this mass using a special press. After squeezing, cocoa cake remains in the press. Cocoa liquor and cocoa butter with powdered sugar are used to make chocolate. Cocoa powder is obtained from cocoa cake.
Chocolate mass is made from a mixture of powdered sugar, grated cocoa, cocoa butter with the addition of aromatic and flavoring ingredients. Using a melanger, the mixture is crushed, mixed again with cocoa butter, cooled to 30 degrees, after which it enters the molding machine.
Depending on the composition, chocolate can be: bitter, white, milk, ruby.
