Last Updated on November 18, 2022
Lebanese and Turkish Coffee Recipe
Lebanese people can be overly social. A typical home in Lebanon gets visited by family and friends several times, every day, unannounced! If a day passes by and you don’t get visitors, something is wrong. To us here in the US this can be quite excessive because we’re buried in our work and daily errands and barely make time for ourselves. However somehow folks in the mother land always find time for such 10-15 minutes social “breaks.” And I tell you, if you don’t offer Lebanese coffee to your guests in such gatherings, they’ll likely ask for it 🙂
Lebanese Coffee at Raouche, Beirut.
For those who haven’t tried it yet, Lebanese Coffee (aka Ahweh, Kawha, Kahva) is very similar to Turkish Coffee or Arabic Coffee in its preparation method, and is one of the strongest coffees you can have. It’s traditionally served in small artsy “shots” the size of espresso coffee shots, and is usually prepared in batches of 4-5 servings at a time.
Traditional Arabic Lebanese Coffee Shots
Lebanese and Turkish Coffee Recipe
Traditional Arabic Coffee that is served in the Arabic Gulf is usually made with very lightly roasted coffee beans, with the grinds being almost amber in color. At that level, the coffee has far more caffeine than darker roasts. Traditional Arabic coffee is very finely ground (finer than espresso grinds), brewed with some cardamom spice and then served along with dates. Lebanese style coffee is made in a similar fashion, however the beans are far darker roasted and the outcome is a full bodied coffee profile. It can be served with or without cardamom spice based on preference. Some folks like to down it black, and others add a bit of sugar to it.
Cafe Najjar – Lebanese Coffee
Najjar Lebanese Favorite Coffee Brand
Our favorite Lebanese coffee brand has always been Cafe Najjar. They have a variety of flavor profiles with medium and dark roasts, and some already include cardamom spice which is my favorite. This brand and others could be easily purchased online today.
Lebanese Coffee Recipe - Turkish Coffee
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 4 teaspoons coffee Lebanese or Turkish fine grind
Instructions
- Add water to an Arabic coffee pot and bring to a boil on medium heat.
Method 1: Foamy Style
- Turn stove off then add the coffee grinds to the pot and stir well. Be careful from the possible overflow especially if the pot is full of water.
- Let rest for 3-4 minutes then serve in Arabic coffee shots.
Method 2: Foam-less Style
- As soon as the water boils, turn down the heat, and carefully add the coffee grinds one spoon at a time while stirring and watching out for an overflow.
- When all the grinds are stirred in and the foamy coffee in the pot rises, lift it up and away from the fire/stove. When the foam level settles down then bring it closer to a gentle fire/stove and let it foam and rise up again. Repeat the process 3-4 times until all of the foam disappears.
- Let rest for 3-4 minutes then serve in Arabic coffee shots.
hi.
why is the coffee to be boiled first for lebanese coffee? before you put the coffee grinds in.
for turkish coffee you put water and coffee in the cezve at the same time, and then put it on the stove to boil.
I have the najjar in the picture. will it taste wrong if a prepare it the turkisk way in a cezve?
brgds
Davizzle I’m not sure to be honest, I don’t know the reason behind this method. However I don’t think it makes too much difference in the flavor and outcome.
Foamy and foamless titles are switched, FYI.
Help — how much water? The instructions say “1.5 times that” but I’m not sure what “that” is. Sorry if I’m being dense.
I think it means 1.5 times a ‘shot’or small cup. So whatever size you want to serve, use 1.5 times that amount of water.
I was drinking this coffe right now, and i felt that the taste was much like leather smells like, it was not unplessant but i just wonder if its just me?
It was Najjar
I remember Lebanese coffee in Beirut in the 60s…
The hotel served a breakfast of fluffy pita, olives, quince jam, and feta cheese……washed down with terrific coffee.
Just adding a little fyi adding the droplets of water (or so I was informed) actually causes the coffee grinds to sink to the bottom of the container more quickly. You can do the same thing if making tea with loose leaves dropping the cold water in makes them sink to the bottom almost immediately.
Thank you for the clarification El-Mokdad
Where in the USA can I find a copper rakweh? Thanks. Joe