![\"Caff\u00e8](\"https:\/\/themodernbarista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tmb_mochi1.jpg\")
It’s February, and that means it’s time for everything romance and\u00a0Caff\u00e8 Verona!\u00a0Caff\u00e8 Verona was one of the first core coffees I fell in love with. I love how rich and\u00a0roasty sweet it is, and when you pair it with dark chocolate, it is out of this world amazing.<\/p>\n
While we were in Hawaii, I\u00a0rediscovered my love for mochi, and I knew I wanted to do a coffee tasting with it when we got back home.<\/p>\n
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The story of\u00a0Caff\u00e8 Verona begins in 1975, where it was created for a specific chocolate dessert for Jake’s restaurant in Seattle. This coffee, then known as Jake’s blend, was\u00a0so popular that Starbucks started hand scooping and blending it to order in stores under the name 80\/20 blend. The blend was comprised of 80% Yukon and 20% Italian roast, hence the name 80\/20 blend! The blend became so popular, that Starbucks made the blend official, giving it the name\u00a0Caff\u00e8 Verona, after the city that inspires so many. This is a coffee that customers and partners have loved for years, and it is sometimes referred as “the coffee of romance”. With it’s full body, low acidity and cocoa texture, what’s not to love?<\/p>\n
What is mochi? Mochi is a sweet snack, popular during Chinese new year, and traditionally served with hot tea. It is slightly sweet and\u00a0is slightly gummy but soft at the same time. Sometimes you see it wrapped around a ball of ice cream, or you’ll see it in shapes like these. The most popular flavors seem to be fruit flavors, but I have seen coffee and chocolate flavors, but not together. And mocha mochi was born…<\/p>\n
![\"Sowden](\"https:\/\/themodernbarista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tmb_mochi3.jpg\")
Verona & the sowden soft brew<\/p><\/div>\n
Mochiko is a sweet rice (glutinous) flour, and can be found at most Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find it, there is always amazon<\/a>! To brew the Verona, I used the Sowden Softbrew<\/a>, which is my new favorite way to brew coffee! This is a full immersion method, similar to a french press, but the filter is much finer, and removable allowing for a cleaner cup and immediate removal of the grounds for a smoother cup. I also love how easy it is to clean up and how cool it looks on my kitchen counter. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Have you tried the Sowden Softbrew yet? I would love to hear your thoughts!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s February, and that means it’s time for everything romance and\u00a0Caff\u00e8 Verona!\u00a0Caff\u00e8 Verona was one of the first core coffees I fell in love with. I love how rich and\u00a0roasty sweet it is, and when you pair it with dark chocolate, it is out of this world amazing. While we were in Hawaii, I\u00a0rediscovered my… <\/p>\n