Jordanian Arabic Coffee: perfection in a cup

Learn how to make a perfect cup of Jordanian Arabic Coffee, a black cardamom-flavored coffee, a must to offer to guests as a sign of respect and hospitality.

It’s time for the MENA (Middle Eastern & North African) Cooking Group. This monthly group has for goal to help us discover the culture and cuisine of the countries found in these parts of the world. Each month we get three proposed recipes from the country of the month and the members pick one dish to make. This month we are going back to Jordan and we will make a Jordanian Arabic coffee.

About Jordan

Located in the Middle East, it has a small shore of only 28km on the Red Sea. Otherwise it is bordered by Israel and the West Bank, Syria, Iraq and by Saudi Arabia. Its capital city is Amman. There is evidence of human activity going back about 90,000 years and it has seen growing pains but the future looks bright. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in January 2000, and signed free trade agreements with the United States in 2000. And with the European Free Trade Association in 2001. There is no hostility between Muslims and Christians, and Jordan is one of the most modern and liberal nations in the region.

The biggest attraction in the whole country is the Archaeological Ruins at Petra, an ancient city carved out of sandstone. It is one of the new 7 Wonders. The cities of Amman, Jerash, Madaba and Aqaba are full of fascinating tourist spots like churches, archaeological museums, and Roman ruins. One should also visit the Dead Sea to experience floating; the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark; and the Bedouin Meditation Camp in the Wadi Rum World Heritage Area.

Meals are a time of celebration. Food is a very important aspect of Jordanian culture and meals are often a community event. In other words food is used by Jordanians to express their hospitality and generosity.

There is wide variety of cooking techniques used in Jordanian cuisine. Baking, roasting, grilling, stuffing of vegetables (grape leaves, eggplants, zucchinis) with meat, and preparing special sauces are some of them. Olive oil, herbs, garlic, spices, onion, tomato sauce and lemon are typical flavors found in Jordan. Dishes can vary from extremely spicy to mild.

Jordanian Arabic Coffee

In Jordan, Arabic coffee is a culturally ingrained sign of respect and must be served to guests. It is is called Qahwah Sādah, or Welcome Coffee and it is served normally WITHOUT SUGAR but with a plate of dates or candied pieces of fruit. A whole protocol is associated with the service of Jordanian coffee, usually served in small cups.

The roots of this coffee can be found in Bedouin culture, a nomadic ethnic group that live in the Middle Eastern deserts. They would often transport the coffee beans from one country to another with their caravans.

My Jordanian Arabic coffee is sourced really from several places, no two are made exactly the same. The process always remains almost identical with minor changes. What you will need to make this recipe though is dark roast coffee, preferably whole bean that you can grind fresh as fine as you can, finer that an espresso, and a small Turkish Coffee maker or Milk Warmer.

I expected a bitter boiled coffee, that was not the case at all. I really loved this recipe and I am happy that I did put sugar in it (for my personal taste). The result was a rich and strong beautifully perfumed coffee with hints of cardamom and saffron. And any leftover tastes fabulous the next day as a cold coffee when taken out of the fridge.

I just posted a video of my making this Jordanian Arabic coffee and you get to see me do a mess too ha ha! Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you do not miss a single new video to come. The recipe is just below.

Check out the other bloggers below who participated this month and look for the hashtag #menacookingclub. Why not join us as well get the info here MENA Cooking Club.