LATTE VS MOCHA: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Say, you’re walking in the nearby coffee shop and you’ve narrowed your espresso-based coffee drink dilemma (what a word!) down to Latte vs Mocha? Since you’re on Golden Sin and we’re all about coffee, we’ll cover this for you!

Not many people know the differences or similarities between them. The latte and mocha are espresso drinks and thus part of the “espresso-family”. They both use milk. It’s advised to use an espresso machine, but you’ll also need a good recipe to make that great cup of coffee if you don’t have access to a machine. Note: machines require more investment.

After reading this post, you’ll be able to fill in the gaps for anyone who’s confronted with the same choice.

WHAT IS A LATTE?

First of all, latte means milk. In Italy, it’s called: a café latte, because if you order a latte, you’ll get milk.

A latte consists of:
– 4/6th steamed milk
– 1/6th espresso
– 1/6th foamed milk

Latte is a drink with a lot of milk with an added touch of coffee. Milk is the dominant part of the recipe/brew.

Latte is popular because of the steamed milk. We all have seen some images on social media with nice drawings on top of your coffee. It’s all about pouring the steamed milk and perfecting that technique. It looks easier than it is though, but as with most things, experience grows by doing it frequently.

Lattes don’t have added ingredients. This means that the taste of espresso is more dominant.

Lattes are a softer version of a Cappuccino and this is done by adding more milk.

Lattes are more of an American view on espresso we think.

WHAT IS A MOCHA?

Mocha refers to 2 things, both in the same coffee niche. We will talk about the espresso drink but Mocha is also the name for the Mocha coffee beans.

Mocha, the espresso drink, is different from latte because of the added ingredient: dark chocolate. Mostly this is dark chocolate, but it can also be chocolate syrup. There are a lot of possibilities here. You can add the small chocolate bitch to have a bit of a crunchy bite to your coffee.

Generally, a mocha consists of:

– 2/5th chocolate
– 2/5th espresso
– 1/5th steamed milk

Mocha coffee reflects a European view on espresso and milk drinks. Mocha coffee gives you plenty of options for combining your coffee with chocolate. Because of the added chocolate or syrup, we’ve added more sweetness into our brew. Sweetness, milk, is more dominant than the espresso part. It’s the right pick if you want a bag of sweetness (and calories!) They’re mostly served with whipped cream.

MOCHA LATTE OR MOCHACCINO, ARE THEY THE SAME?

Don’t confuse the Mocha with the Mocha Latte or a Mochaccino, here the ratios are different.

Mochaccino requires:

– Espresso: 1/3rd
– Steamed milk: 1/3rd
– Milk froth: 1/3rd

Mocha Latte requires:

– Steamed milk: 5/8th
– Espresso: 1/8th
– Hot chocolate: 1/8th
– Milk foam: 1/8th

WHAT ABOUT THE MILK IN MOCHA AND LATTE?

We cover here the milk part in our espresso drinks. What exactly is steamed milk and frothed milk?

When you’ve bought an espresso machine, you can use the steam wand or simply buy a milk frothing machine. Through the process of steaming through the milk, simply said, the milk heats up and air bubbles are added to it.

Steamed milk also increases in volume, but not as much as frothed milk: by 1/3rd. You put the steam wand in the milk (about 1 inch) and position it at an angle so you can create a circular stream or vortex. When the temperature of the milk is reached, normally between 145 to 155 ° F, you stop with steaming.

Frothed milk is milk foam that’s doubled because of the added air bubbles. You put the steam wand in the milk, as the milk gets foamed on top, you go down with the steam wand, slowly. It’s important to move it slowly and keep it moving.

You don’t need a steam wand, of course, there are also manual milk frothing devices that can help you milk things up!

CONCLUSION

To conclude, Mocha and Latte are 2 fine espresso drinks. If you want more sweetness, you’d opt for a Mocha. For those who want to have more than an espresso touch, go for the latte.

F.A.Q.

WHICH IS SWEETER: LATTE OR MOCHA?

The answer is clear: Mocha! The reason is because of the added ingredient: chocolate (syrup, cocoa…). The added ingredient adds sugar and thus sweetness (and also extra calories!).

IS LATTE STRONGER THAN MOCHA?

No, Mocha is generally stronger because of the lower milk ratio.

ARE LATTES HEALTHIER THAN MOCHAS?

Yes, Lattes are healthier! Mocha has an extra ingredient that adds more sweetness to the drink.

IS A MOCHA THE SAME AS A LATTE OR CAPPUCCINO?

No. It’s unique. It’s not the same as latte or cappuccino. It has an extra ingredient: chocolate. Lattes and Cappuccinos don’t have chocolate.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, Mocha and Latte are 2 fine espresso drinks. If you want more sweetness, you’d opt for a Mocha. For those who want to have more than an espresso touch, go for the latte.

Enjoy your coffee!