Arabian Coffee

Why this works

Qahwa sada is the opposite of the Gulf's pale qahwa in almost every way. Gulf qahwa uses a very light roast, saffron and lots of cardamom, and tastes golden and herbal. The qahwa sada of Jordan, Palestine, Syria and the Bedouin tradition uses a dark roast, is boiled for much longer, and is bitter by design. Both are Arabic coffee, and both are about hospitality, but they are different drinks.

The long boil is what makes it. Ground coffee simmered for twenty minutes or more extracts far past what any modern brewing guide would recommend, pulling out the heavy, bitter compounds that a quick brew leaves behind. Some families keep a pot going on the embers for days, adding water and coffee. The decanting step removes the grounds before the cardamom goes in, so the spice infuses cleanly into the coffee.

Cardamom goes in at the end, after the long boil, because its aromatic compounds are volatile and would be driven off by twenty minutes of simmering. A short final boil releases them, and they sit over the bitter coffee as a cool, floral perfume.

The serving rules carry meaning. The small amount in each cup means constant refilling, which shows attentiveness. Coffee is poured with the right hand and offered to the most honoured guest first. Refusing a cup can be read as a slight, and in some Bedouin traditions a guest who puts the cup down untouched is signalling that they have come with a request. The coffee is unsweetened because it is served at sad occasions as well as happy ones, and its bitterness belongs to both.

Variations

• Gulf qahwa: lightly roasted beans with saffron. See qahwa.
• With a pinch of saffron: some Jordanian families add it at the end.
• Shorter boil: ten minutes for a milder, less bitter pot.
• Turkish-style Arabic coffee: brewed in a cezve with cardamom, sweetened and foamy. See cardamom Turkish coffee.