The name is derived from the city of Mokha, Taiz Governorate, Yemen, which was one of the centres of early coffee trade.

[8] However, prior to 1900s, Mocha referred to Yemeni coffee, and its meaning began to change around the turn of the 20th century, and recipes for food such as cakes that combined chocolate and coffee that referenced mocha began to appear.

In 1920, a recipe for a "Chilled Mocha" was published with milk, coffee and cocoa as ingredients.

Caffè mocha, in its most basic formulation, can also be referred to as hot chocolate with (e.g., a shot of) espresso added.

Like cappuccino, caffè mochas typically contain the distinctive milk froth on top; as is common with hot chocolate, they are sometimes served with whipped cream instead.