Mocca
Protected term for a caffeine-free drink made of malted barley. An alternative to bean coffee.
History: During the coffee prohibition of 1780 and Napoleon's
continental barricade against England (1806) an alternative for the
luxury drink bean coffee was searched for and found. Muckefuck (French:
mocca-faux = false coffee) and flower coffee soon became the slang
words for coffee alternatives. Next to fruit and grain coffee, this
malt coffee was established.
Preparation:
Barley immersed in water is left to germinate. During the course of the
germination, starch is converted to malt sugar and protein is split
into its amino acids. The germination process is halted with heat.
During the subsequent roasting process, the malt sugar caramellises and
colour and aroma are developed. Harmful provocative agents, sometimes
the carcinogenic benzpyren, may develop during this. Special control
procedures are taken out regularly in order to find this material or
any pesticides. Further processing: spray or freeze drying for the
instant product. Conventional products: barley is conventionally
cultivated grain. During the freeze-drying, some chemical aids are used
in order to improve the solubility in water.
.Tip: Malt coffees contain less tannins and taste milder and sweeter compared to grain coffees.