Coffee production | Forlì

THE COMPANY

Before becoming MOKA RICA, the green coffee undergoes several stages.

We import green coffee from the most prestigious plantations in the world, always from the same producers, thereby ensuring a high level and continuity of quality. Moreover, all batches of green coffee to be purchased are the result of a pre-selection of representative samples from the entire lot, and only the best batches are chosen for purchase.

We roast the coffee using a drum roaster in a batch process; this type of roaster allows us to roast each origin separately, varying the roasting times (around 15 minutes) to enhance the aromatic notes of Arabica coffee and to bring out the best in Robusta coffee.

In fact, the physical and chemical characteristics of the two species are different: Arabica has a higher sucrose (sugar) content, making it less bitter, with a caffeine content ranging between 0.50 and 1.55%, and a higher oil content (about 18%).

The percentage of oil is important because the fatty substance is the "reservoir" of aromas; the Arabica species, in fact, allows for a more delicate, more aromatic, and superior quality extract. In the Robusta species, whose plant has greater resistance to environmental conditions, we find a caffeine content that can reach up to 3%, with low levels of oil and sugar. The Robusta extract has an intense, more bitter taste, which is not always pleasant; however, it is appreciated for its creaminess.

Roasting is one of the most important stages; it is during this process that the characteristic aroma and flavour of the coffee develop, and thus, in addition to the watchful and experienced eye of our specialist, we rely on computerised control of all roasting phases.

Cooling takes place exclusively with air to preserve the aromas for as long as possible.

After the separate roasting for each type and an additional cleaning phase, the coffee is left to age in large silos; the coffee matures, releasing the aroma and taste that elevate it.

The blending of different qualities is the secret and the core of the final flavour; the recipes are confidential and have been created and revised by Cav. Franco Carella.

The packaging ranges from bags and jars for families to capsules and pods for offices, up to bar packs from 1 to 3 kg.

The administrative and commercial offices constantly oversee all stages of processing, supported by the most advanced operational techniques. Our warehouses, spacious and bright, keep the green coffee separate from the finished products and packaging.

The Analysis Laboratory guarantees the high quality of production; it carries out checks on the incoming raw materials and the processing of the finished product with the most modern techniques and equipment.

The experience and skill of the master roasters are fundamental for the balance and consistency of the blends produced.

OUR STORY

THE LITTLE MAN IN A TAILCOAT

Coffee... a moment of pause, relaxation, and a burst of energy.

We must take pride in the primacy that is universally recognised in the so-called 3 Fs: Supplies, Fashion, and Food.

With the success of Italian design and fashion well established, we roasters take great pride in celebrating the quintessential Italian Espresso. Since 1950, MOKA RICA has been a proponent of this concept, and its name has become synonymous with quality, summarised in the slogan "Caffè in Frac."

MOKA RICA

The name comes from the blend of “Moka,” which, in addition to being synonymous with coffee, is also a very fine type of Ethiopian coffee, and “Rica,” the final part of the name of the country Costa Rica, from which one of the best coffees in the world originates.

It all began in the 1950s when the writer Silvio Carella founded MOKA RICA in a small warehouse in the central area of the city, along with his son Franco. It is with him that the small company expanded and became known throughout the regions of Emilia Romagna, Marche, and Abruzzo. Franco moved the company headquarters to the industrial area, where it still resides today, on a 6,000 square metre site, of which 3,500 square metres are covered, in order to accommodate the ever-increasing quantities of green coffee that it imports.

With the help of his daughter Franca, he carries the name of the Omino in Frac (the pseudonym for MOKA RICA) not only throughout Italy but also abroad.

Franca, who grew up in “a coffee world,” embodies all the wisdom of her grandfather and father; she has channeled her skills and new energies into creating an extraordinary balance between innovation and tradition while respecting the historical mission of the company, which is, and will remain, "TO MAKE A COFFEE TO WHICH ONE CAN ALWAYS SAY YES."

LABORATORY

Since 1950, the recipes for our blends have been passed down within the Carella family and are carefully guarded in the minds and actions of the founders and their successors.

In a world that changes and evolves rapidly, ensuring quality is one of the values upon which the Forlì-based company has built its image and credibility.

The founder Franco Carella, creator of “Caffè in Frac,” aimed to communicate the high quality that characterised the product of his roasting company; it is for this reason that the Carella family continues the business today, in line with those same values.

MOKA RICA has opted for the quality of tradition: a choice that retraces the strengths of its entrepreneurial history and does not yield to the globalisation of flavours but defends and enhances the peculiarities of a decision made every day for over 70 years.

Periodically, MOKA RICA offers a small selection of single origins made up of 100% of the best coffees in the world, the result of the experience of our Master Roaster, who, at the time of roasting, enhances the aroma to achieve a profile with a unique taste.