Following the footsteps of William H. Ukers, who travelled the world almost a century ago in search of customs surrounding coffee, and trying to figure out how much of these traditions survived the test of time, I came by a recipe for traditional Arabian coffee, or Qahwa.
Qahwa
3 cups of water
2 tbsp ground coffee
3 tbsp cardamom (coarsely ground)
1/4 tsp saffron (optional)
3 cups of water
2 tbsp ground coffee
3 tbsp cardamom (coarsely ground)
1/4 tsp saffron (optional)
Boil water in a pot, add the coffee to the pot and bring to the boil over low heat for half an hour.
Remove from the heat and let it rest for about five minutes, to allow the coffee grounds to settle.
Put the cardamom in a second pot, strain the coffee in this pot and add the saffron. Bring back to the boil and serve immediately.
Remove from the heat and let it rest for about five minutes, to allow the coffee grounds to settle.
Put the cardamom in a second pot, strain the coffee in this pot and add the saffron. Bring back to the boil and serve immediately.
Note: the amount of ground coffee differs in different recipes according to whether one likes their coffee more or less strong.