Smiles, rituals, home, entertainment, festivity, food and drink is what the smell of Arabic coffee signifies!
Arabic coffee is a traditional beverage in the Arab culture, that every coffee lover must try at least once in their lives. It’s made from roasted coffee beans and cardamom which gives it that famous robust and slightly bitter taste. Many prefer to serve it alongside dates or other sweets to counter the bitterness.
Traditionally, the whole process of roasting, grounding, brewing, and serving the coffee is done in front of the guests. Also, the coffee is often served in small cups without handles.
A tip I have for you when you’re serving coffee to your guests is to only fill up a third of the cup. There are two main reasons for this: firstly, you will refill the cup several times, and secondly, filling up your guests’ cup right to the top is considered rude. It’s like you’re telling your guests that it’s time for them to leave.
Offering someone a cup of coffee is considered a symbol of generosity in our culture. There’s even a saying in Arabic that goes you can give your guests a 5-star dinner, but if they leave your home without the offering of a coffee, they will walk away saying ‘we didn’t even get a cup of coffee’.
There are many variations on how to make Arabic coffee, but I prefer to keep it simple. All you need is:
- 2 tablespoons of finely ground Arabica coffee beans (roasted)
- ½ tablespoon of ground cardamon.
- 2 cups of water
- sugar (optional)
Here’s how you can make Arabic coffee in just 5 easy steps:
- Combine ground coffee with cardamom and mix well.
- Using a traditional Arabic coffee pot or a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium heat.
- Add the coffee mixture to the boiling water.
- Stir the coffee through and continue to brew for approx. 7-10 minutes. The foam will rise to the top so you may need to remove the coffee pot off the heat for a few seconds to keep it from overflowing.
- Remove the coffee from the stove and let it stand for 2-3 minutes to allow the sediments to settle at the bottom of the pot.
Finally, as I mentioned at the beginning of this journal, Arabic coffee is usually served with something sweet to tone down its bitter taste. There’s nothing that can help you do just that better than a homemade Middle Eastern dessert, especially when the recipe is quick and simple to make.
If you’re rather a tea enthusiast or maybe you have a family member/friend who is, check out my latest journal on aromatic herbal teas – there’s a tea flavour in there for everybody!
With Love
