One of the cafeteria drinks that has become very popular in recent years from the north to the south of our country is definitely the “Moroccan,” a mouth-watering combination of coffee, milk, and cocoa.
The Origin of Moroccan Coffee
Moroccan Coffee is a recipe that in recent years has been included in the menus of almost all the coffee shops from North to South of our peninsula, gaining a lot of success especially during mid-morning or afternoon coffee breaks thanks to its inviting appearance and the perfect combination of cocoa, espresso and milk. (in some cases also chocolate).
L’unione tra questi ingredienti però non è certo una novità, possiamo considerare infatti il Caffè Marocchino un discendente del Bicerin torinese, a sua volta evoluzione della settecentesca bavareisa.
But where does the name Marocchino come from? First of all, let's clarify that it has no connection with the North African state or its citizens. In fact, it seems that the “Marocchino” was served for the first time in the 1950s in Alessandria, at the Carpano bar (closed nowadays) which was located right in front of the famous Borsalino hat factory.
History tells us that the owner of the establishment, seeing a macchiato coffee sprinkled with cocoa being served, exclaimed in dialect “it looks like a Moroccan” referring to the color of the leather strip inserted inside his hats.
This is where the story and success of Caffè Marocchino was born.
How to prepare Moroccan Coffee.
Like all layered drinks, Caffè Marocchino is also prepared in a glass cup, usually the one dedicated to espresso in glass with a thick bottom that is properly heated.
- First, sprinkle the glass with bitter cocoa powder
- An espresso is extracted, preferring well-balanced blends or single origins.
- Fill the glass with frothed milk like the one we use for cappuccino, with a nice compact and shiny cream.
- The final touch will be a new dusting of bitter cocoa or, for those with a sweet tooth, some small flakes of chocolate.
There are many variations on the theme of the Moroccan, both in terms of the name and the recipe.
At the bottom of the glass, instead of cocoa or other sweet creams (hazelnut, pistachio, vanilla), hot chocolate is also used.
