Mocha
/ˈmɒkə/noun
A coffee made from beans associated with the Yemeni port of Mocha, or a coffee-flavored drink or dessert.
Did you know?Mocha is named for al-Mukhā, the Yemeni Red Sea port that became a major coffee-export hub in the 15th–18th centuries, so the word preserves the geography of the old coffee world.
Etymological Timeline
15th Century
Arabic
al-Mukhā
“The port city of Mocha in Yemen, a major coffee-trading center”
16th Century
Italian
mocca
“Coffee associated with the port of Mocha”
17th Century
French
mocha
“Coffee from Mocha”
18th Century
English
mocha
“Coffee imported from or associated with Mocha”
Modern English
English
mocha
“Coffee-flavored; especially a drink or dessert combining coffee and chocolate”