The moka must not disappear
Can you make good coffee at home? This is the question that is asked most frequently by customers and friends and my answer is always only one: YES it can be done. It would be enough to rediscover the traditions of our beautiful Italy and put a little love in things. Unfortunately today, due to the limited time available, the simplest way to prepare coffee at home seems to be just one, capsules or other types of single-serve. I want to clarify that I have nothing against it, but it is my duty as a professional to point out that this will not be a maneuver that will produce excellence but simply a very flat drink with caffeine content, to clarify the idea I always do the example of frozen products: is a plate of frozen spinach better or a plate of spinach taken from the greengrocer? I don't think there is any doubt, the same thing goes for coffee.
The aroma that will come out of your mocha will never be comparable to the result obtained from the extraction of a capsule or similar; therefore I urge every reader and coffee lover to dust off the mocha and return to enjoy a ritual that must not be lost. And believe me that in addition to improving the taste experience, you will also help the planet by producing less garbage.
Moka is part of our land, and we must somehow protect it from this shock wave generated by the "fast" and the arrival of the capsules. The moka is an object born in 1933 by the genius of Alfonzo Bialetti (yes, the little man with the mustache). The moka name derives from the city of Mokha in Yemen, one of the first and most renowned coffee production areas in particular of the precious Arabica quality. The mocha became a widely consumed item only after the end of the Second World War, during the so-called economic boom and the increase in average income and consumption. A campaign based on advertisements in newspapers, radio and even television commercials played an important role, making the MOKA the object present in all Italian homes.
What are the main notions to know when preparing the moka? Always use natural mineral water, fill the underlying base with water until you reach the valve (do not fill the valve more than halfway), do not make any mounds in the filter holder but fill it while keeping the surface of the ground coffee in the filter base, leave the lid open and use a medium-low flame, turn off the flame at the beginning of the gurgling.
Now there are no more excuses, have a good coffee, grab the mocha and let yourself be overwhelmed by the unmistakable aroma and its intense taste. You will never go back.
* The article had previously appeared in the newspaper La Nazione