Mokka Coffee Variety: Understanding Moka, Mokka, and Mocha
Let’s explore the famous Mokka coffee varietal and its role in the coffee industry.
Mokka, Mocha, Moka, Mokha – they might just be the most confusing terms in all of coffee. Are they all different things? Are they just spelling variations of the same thing? To muddy the waters even further, the answer is yes and no.
In this article, I’m going to look specifically at the Mokka coffee variety. Keep reading to learn what it is, how it tastes, and how it relates to the rest of the “mochas” out there.
What Is The Mokka Coffee Variety?
First, a quick history lesson. All Arabica coffee originally comes from Ethiopia, but it was first grown commercially in Yemen, hence the name Arabica. In coffee’s early history, the center of the coffee trade was the Yemeni port of Mocha (sometimes spelled Mokha), which lends its name to much coffee terminology (1).
Yemeni Mokka is a specific Arabica cultivar – and one of the oldest varieties.
Grown on the slopes of Yemeni mountainsides at high elevations up to 8000 feet, it is prized for its unique, exotic, and complex flavor profiles.
Yemeni coffee is most often dry-processed, which enhances its natural sweetness. Tasting notes include jammy fruits, cocoa, warm spices, a mild winey acidity, and earthiness. It has a rich mouthfeel and syrupy body.
Yemeni Mokka is no longer as common as it once was. You can sometimes find it in the famous Mocha-Java blend, but Ethiopian coffee is often used in place of Yemeni beans these days.
What Is Maui Mokka Coffee?
The Maui Mokka coffee varietal, also known as “tall Mokka” because it is more of a coffee tree than a bush, is a type of Arabica coffee grown primarily in Hawaii. It is a hybrid of Yemen Mokka and a tall Brazilian Typica.
The Maui Mokka coffee plant is characterized by its small coffee cherries and tiny, round beans. While there is sometimes a notion that bigger is better for coffee beans, this is not always the case.
“Mokka is the contrarian of the coffee world: these tiny beans captured coveted first place in the 2014 Hawaii Cupping Competition.”
Compared to other coffee varieties, Mokka is low yielding and difficult to harvest, so it is both highly prized and highly priced. This, along with its exceptional flavor, is why it is often called the champagne of coffee – a worthy treat for any coffee lover!
Brewing Methods and Flavor Profile
The Maui Mokka varietal is usually given a medium to dark roast, highlighting its prized chocolate flavor. While chocolate is the dominant tasting note, Maui Mokka is also known for its subtle acidity and notes of nuts, dried fruit, and spice (2).
Compared with the other popular Hawaiian coffee, Kona, Maui Mokka has a heavier body and less fruity and floral flavors.
Maui Mokka is a versatile coffee suitable for most brewing methods. Personally, I think its heavy body suits the Moka pot, French press, or espresso machine. These methods preserve the coffee oils, resulting in a delicious fudge-like brew.
This video shows you how to brew perfect French press coffee with Maui Mokka beans:se methods preserve the coffee oils, resulting in a delicious fudge-like brew with or without milk.
This video shows you how to brew perfect French press coffee with Maui Mokka beans:
Mokka vs Mocha vs Moka
Now you know the difference between the Maui Mokka variety, the Yemen Mokka variety, and the Yemeni port of Mokha.
What about the mocha drink, which adds chocolate to a traditional latte? How did Mocha coffee beans come to be associated with chocolate? It’s not entirely clear, but legend has it that it derives from the natural chocolatey flavor profile of Mocha coffee beans.
Then there’s the stovetop espresso maker known as the Moka pot. It was invented by Italian engineer Alfonso Bialetti, who named it the Moka Express in reference, once again, to the famous port. This brewer is now so ubiquitous that “Moka pot” and “stovetop espresso maker” have become synonymous, even when not made by Bialetti.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article has clarified the whole Mokka vs. Mocha vs. Moka confusion. The homonyms all derive from the Yemeni city of Mocha, which was central to coffee’s early history.
The best-known Mokka variety today is Maui Mokka, a unique hybrid grown commercially on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. Often referred to as “the champagne of coffee,” it is notable for its tiny coffee beans and prized for its rich, chocolatey flavor.
FAQs
Kona coffee is a variety of Arabica coffee grown only in the Kona district of Hawaii’s Big Island, where the climate is ideal for growing high-quality coffee. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. This is due to its delicious flavor, smart marketing tactics, and the high cost of doing business in America compared with most coffee-growing regions.
Some of the rarest Arabica varieties include Wush Wush, Pink Bourbon, and Sidra – all of which have been used to secure high rankings in the World Barista Championship. Eugenioides is another rare coffee, which is a distinct species from Arabica.
Some websites list Black Ivory coffee as the rarest, but it is not actually a variety. It can be any coffee that has been consumed, digested, and excreted by elephants.
There is no best coffee bean for a mocha latte, but most baristas will favor a darker roast. It tends to have a bold flavor and slight bitterness that work perfectly to offset the sweet chocolate and milk in the drink.
References
- Gilbert, D. (2017, September 20). The History of Mocha Coffee & Yemeni Coffee Culture. Retrieved from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2017/09/the-history-of-mocha-coffee-yemeni-coffee-culture/
- Arr, J. (n.d.). Is Kona the best Hawaiian coffee? – Islands and Varieties. Retrieved from https://jayarrcoffee.com/blogs/news/hawaiian-coffee-islands-and-varieties/
