Arabic coffee is also called
Turkish coffee. It is usually very finely ground and sometimes we add a few
pods of cardamom while grinding it to give it a very pleasing flavor and aroma.
Traditionally, we used to buy the coffee beans, roast them and use a hand
grinder (Dagerman) to grind the coffee beans. You can find ground Arabic coffee
at Middle Eastern grocery stores or you can purchase the beans and grind them
in the store grinder. You can buy dark roast, medium or a combination of beans
according to your preference.
You need a special coffee pot
(Dalla) to brew the coffee or use a small pot to brew it. There are different
varieties of pots made with copper, brass, aluminum or stainless steel. They
all work well on the stove. Special pots used by the Bedouins on a charcoal
grill are used for making bitter coffee served during funerals, tribal meetings
and coffee houses (Chia Khane). Coffee is served with a glass of water and a
piece of candy or manna halva.
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ground coffee
1 teaspoon or more sugar
Pinch of ground cardamom
(optional)
Pour tap water in the coffee
pot (Dalla), and Place the
coffee pot on the stove on a medium heat. When water comes to a boil, remove the pot to the side and add the sugar and coffee, and stir. Place the coffee pot on the stove and bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Return the pot again to the stove and bring the coffee to a boil. Do not leave the stove as it will overflow. Remove from heat and set aside. You will notice light color foam
developed on the surface. Skim off the foam and pour a
teaspoon in every demitasse (finjan) on the tray. Pour the coffee to top and
serve.
Do not stir the coffee or add
milk to it. Coffee grounds will settle in the bottom of the demitasse. When
finished drinking, sometimes guests flip their cups on the saucers to allow the
thick coffee ground to drip down. Then they wait for somebody to read their
fortune for entertainment.