By Rima Al MukhtarNothing defines Saudi hospitality more than offering guests a cup of Arabic coffee. The ritual of serving Arabic coffee in Saudi Arabia is a sign that a guest is welcomed and honored. It is usually served with dates, chocolate or any type of local sweets.
Preparing and serving coffee is the same across the Arabian Gulf, although the ingredients and flavors differ. Saudis prefer their mocha beans to be from Yemen, but if it cannot be found, coffee beans from Brazil or Kenya are an appropriate substitute. The coffee beans need to be freshly roasted and ground to a very fine, soft powder before making the coffee.
In the old days, coffee beans used to be roasted in a light skillet and then ground in a brass mortar. Nowadays, the mortar has been replaced with an electric coffee grinder. Coffee beans can also be bought already ground in supermarkets and coffee houses.
Arabic coffee is a lightly spiced coffee made traditionally, without filtering it. It needs practice to serve unfiltered coffee while keeping the grounds in the “Dallah,” which is Arabic for pot. The resulting flavor is strong and intense with aromas that will bring your imagination to the mysterious Middle Eastern deserts.
Making Arabic coffee is not difficult; it just requires time, which is an important part of the ritual. To make the Arabic coffee, a few essential items are required.
Remove from heat and allow coffee grounds to settle. Put the cardamom in another pot and add the saffron. Bring back to a boil and serve immediately.
Milk, cream or sugar is never added to this kind of coffee.
Arabic coffee needs to be poured into small cups with no handles called “Fenjan” in Arabic. Those small cups are smaller than espresso cups and it’s especially made for Arabic coffee.
Serving Arabic coffee has strict rules and etiquette when serving. It requires the host or hostess to personally hand each small cup to the guest. He/she needs to hold the pot with the left hand, pour the coffee and serve it with the right hand.
Arabic coffee plays a huge part in socializing and is drunk during all types of occasions. When a guest finishes drinking his/her “Fenjan” and wants more, he/she has to jiggle the cup slowly as a sign for the host to refill it again and offer more dates.
In the old days, coffee beans used to be roasted in a light skillet and then ground in a brass mortar. Nowadays, the mortar has been replaced with an electric coffee grinder. Coffee beans can also be bought already ground in supermarkets and coffee houses.
Arabic coffee is a lightly spiced coffee made traditionally, without filtering it. It needs practice to serve unfiltered coffee while keeping the grounds in the “Dallah,” which is Arabic for pot. The resulting flavor is strong and intense with aromas that will bring your imagination to the mysterious Middle Eastern deserts.
Making Arabic coffee is not difficult; it just requires time, which is an important part of the ritual. To make the Arabic coffee, a few essential items are required.
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp ground decaffeinated coffee
- 3 tbsp cardamom (coarsely ground)
- 1/4 tsp saffron (This is optional but it will add a signature aftertaste and give the coffee a golden sheen).
Remove from heat and allow coffee grounds to settle. Put the cardamom in another pot and add the saffron. Bring back to a boil and serve immediately.
Milk, cream or sugar is never added to this kind of coffee.
Arabic coffee needs to be poured into small cups with no handles called “Fenjan” in Arabic. Those small cups are smaller than espresso cups and it’s especially made for Arabic coffee.
Serving Arabic coffee has strict rules and etiquette when serving. It requires the host or hostess to personally hand each small cup to the guest. He/she needs to hold the pot with the left hand, pour the coffee and serve it with the right hand.
Arabic coffee plays a huge part in socializing and is drunk during all types of occasions. When a guest finishes drinking his/her “Fenjan” and wants more, he/she has to jiggle the cup slowly as a sign for the host to refill it again and offer more dates.
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