Not only espresso and cappuccino: more and more baristas are asking for the mochaccino, a hot drink halfway between caffé macchiato and cappuccino and enriched with chocolate and cream. Let us see what it exactly is, how to serve it and how to prepare this tasty drink also at home, always starting with the best espresso coffee blends offered by Portioli.

How to serve the perfect mochaccino

The perfect mochaccino is served at the bar in a glass, so that the layers of coffee, chocolate and milk froth are enhanced and visible. In many bars, the slightly alcoholic chocolate liqueur replaces the traditional chocolate, and one should never confuse the mochaccino with marocchino.

Mochaccino offered by bartenders all over Italy is very similar to bicerin, the historical drink of Turin, and a variant is the espressino, served in Puglia with or without a sprinkling of delicious cocoa on the surface. In any case, those who ask for a mochaccino get much more than the chocolate cappuccino because of the larger amount of cream and the addition of cocoa.

The preparation of mochaccino

A drink with ancient origins and from northern Italy, mochaccino is inspired by the Piedmontese bicerin made with chocolate, milk and coffee and reinterprets this recipe in a new and original way. The combination of milk and coffee has always been one of the most popular and sought-after at the bar, but few people know the beloved pairing of coffee and chocolate. In mochaccino recipe, the barista perfectly blends these ingredients into a unique drink: in some cases, a cocoa-based syrup is used, in others dark chocolate.

Mochaccino recipe according to Portioli

As well as at the bar, the perfect mochaccino can also be enjoyed at home and this is the recipe recommended by Portioli, a roasting company specialising in the production and sale of excellent coffees. The ingredients for 4 people are as follows

• 4 espresso coffees

• 800 ml fresh whole milk

• 100 g dark chocolate

• sugar to taste

• cocoa powder to taste

The procedure is to grind the dark chocolate into thin slivers. Heat 100 ml of milk and add the chocolate, stirring with a spatula until melted. Next, the melted chocolate is spread over the bottom of 4 glass cups and the remaining milk is whipped to obtain a thick layer of foam. The foamed milk should be distributed in the cups in order to keep the different layers clearly visible.

Finally, espresso coffee is brewed, sweetened and poured into the cup, topped with a further layer of frothed milk and sprinkled with bitter cocoa or cinnamon. You can also decorate the mochaccino with a generous layer of whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings.

However, if you are lazy, you can always order the best mochaccino from your trusted barista, who will perfectly prepare this drink for you using the Arabica or Robusta varieties of Caffé Portioli, the Espresso all’Italiana blend or the refined single-origins.