What is Arabic Coffee? Best Arabic Coffee Recipe

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Co-authored by Rich Lee

Last Updated: August 9, 2024 Approved

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Arabic Coffee Recipe

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Drinking Arabic Coffee

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Ingredients

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Video

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Q&A

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Things You'll Need

ARTICLE

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"Arabic coffee" is a general term that refers to the way coffee is prepared in many Arabic countries throughout West Asia and North Africa. That said, there is a good deal of variation from place to place, including how the beans are roasted and what spices and flavorings are added. Arabic coffee is prepared on the stovetop in a special pot called a dallah, poured into a thermos, and served in a petite, handle-less cup called finjaan. It often has a strong, bitter flavor that many people love. You might be surprised at how it differs from Western-style coffee, but after a few sips, you'll be making this for all your guests.

How to Prepare Arabic Coffee

Grind the coffee and the cardamom pods.
Bring water to a boil and add the coffee grounds.
Brew the coffee over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Add the cardamom and bring the coffee back to a boil.
Serve your coffee and drink it while it's hot.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ground Arabic coffee beans
3 cups water
1 tablespoon ground or crushed cardamom
5-6 whole cloves (optional)
A pinch of saffron (optional)
1 teaspoon rosewater (optional)

Part 1

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Arabic Coffee Recipe

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1
Buy Arabic coffee. You can purchase whole roasted beans or ground coffee. Look for Arabica beans in light to medium roasts.
- Some specialty coffee stores and online sellers offer Arabic coffee blends with spices included. While this doesn't allow you to adjust the ratio to your taste, it may be a convenient way to get the flavor of Arabic coffee.
- Alternatively, you can buy unroasted Arabica coffee beans and roast them yourself.
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Grind the coffee if it is not already ground. You can use the grinder at the grocery store or use your own at home.
- While some suggest using a coarse grind, others recommend making a very fine, powder-like ground.^{[1]
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You can use a mortar and pestle to do this, or the back of a spoon.
Take the seeds from the pods and put them in a coffee grinder. Grind them into a fine powder.
If you plan to serve the coffee from a thermos, as is traditionally done in West Asia, preheat it now by filling it with boiling water.
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Heat the water in the dallah. Use all 3 cups of water and bring to a boil on medium heat.
- If you don't have a dallah, you can use a saucepan or Turkish cezve.^{[3]
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Remove the dallah from the stove for 30 seconds. Let it stand and cool just slightly.
- Meanwhile, reduce the heat on the burner to low.
You do not need to stir the coffee at this point, since the boiling itself mixes the grounds in the water.
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Let the coffee brew on low heat. After 10-12 minutes, foam will start rising to the top of the pot.
- Do not let the coffee boil, as this will burn the coffee. If it begins to boil, remove the dallah from the stove. You may also want to reduce the heat slightly before returning the dallah to the burner.
If you have an electric stove that is slow to cool, remove the pot immediately.
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Remove the pot from the stove and let the foam settle. Once the level of the foam has lowered, add the cardamom.
- You can also add a few cloves at this point, if you're using them.^{[4]
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This process will create the same foam as shown in prior steps.
The grounds will settle to the bottom.
Empty the boiling water used for preheating. If you are using saffron and/or rosewater, add them now to the empty thermos.
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Pour the coffee into the thermos until the grounds start coming out. Once you see grounds in the coffee, stop pouring. A small amount of coffee with grounds will remain at the bottom of the dallah.
- You can pour the coffee through a strainer if you wish. This catches the spices and coffee sediment, but is not a necessary step.^{[5]
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Let the coffee steep for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve. For a traditional presentation, use small cups on a serving plate.
- Traditionally, the small cups are filled no more than halfway.
- While Arabic coffee is traditionally made without sugar, it is served with something sweet, like dates.
- Milk is not added to Arabic coffee. If you prefer adding milk to yours, keep in mind that light roasts in particular are best without milk.

Part 2

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Drinking Arabic Coffee

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It is considered rude to drink with your left hand.
A guest should always accept at least one cup, and it is customary to drink at least three over the course of a visit.
This lets the host know you're ready for more.^{[6]
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Community Q&A

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Question

What ingredient measurements would I use if I just wanted to make coffee for one person?

Community Answer

You could just cut the ingredient amounts in half, which would leave you with 1.5 cups of water, 1.5 tablespoons of coffee, etc.

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How do I store the coffee once opened?

Community Answer

Put the coffee grounds in the fridge still in the original bag, and inside an airtight container or bag for double protection. Once this is done, it should be fine for the period the packaging says to use it within.

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Can I make the coffee in a coffee machine if I am in a hurry?

Community Answer

Yes, you can make it in a coffee machine.

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