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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Arabic coffee takes many names, depending on who you ask. Coffee is a big deal in the Middle East, and it has been that way for thousands of years.
Obviously, Arab countries have perfected the art of coffee brewing, and they still make one of the tastiest coffees on the planet. You can make your own Arabic coffee at home as well. You’ll find a fantastic recipe below.
But what is Arabic coffee? Well, in a few words, it’s freshly brewed coffee that foams beautifully and that people enjoy with the ground coffee and all. There’s no waste in this one.
To make Arabic coffee at home, you’ll need cold water, finely ground Arabica medium (city) roast coffee and granulated sugar. You can’t skip the sugar in this one, although you can also use a zero-calorie alternative.
You’ll also need a kettle, and although most Arab countries have unique kettles for coffee, any old-fashioned coffee pot works well. If you can get the real deal, get it — authentic Arabic coffee kettles are collectors’ items!
To make this Middle Eastern and North African specialty, combine the cold water, coffee and sugar first and heat the whole thing later. I guess that’s the key here.
The coffee infuses the sweet water low and slow. And although this sounds like a time-consuming way of making coffee, it isn’t. You can make four cups in around ten minutes — I bet most baristas can’t make four cups of coffee in such a short amount of time!
This beauty is best enjoyed with good company, of course, as it’s perfect for long, thoughtful conversations. Other than that, cookies, cake and pastries play nice with the strong but sweet coffee.
And talking about sweetness, this coffee should come out of the kettle already sweet but sweeten yours to taste. There’s no way to ruin this one; it’s just too good!
In a coffee pot, better if it’s an Arabic cezve pot, pour the water, coffee and sugar. Stir to dissolve.
Heat over a medium flame until the coffee boils (5 minutes). A layer of foam will form.
Pour the coffee into two cups, divide the foam and sediments between the cups.
Adjust the sweetness to taste, serve with dates and enjoy.
