In the Eastern Arab World, coffee, or qahwa, a gift that the Arabs gave the world, is made thick and black in three styles: murra (bitter), which is drunk by the real coffee connoisseurs and is made without sugar; sukkar qalil (little sugar), made with 1 teaspoon of sugar; and mazbut (just right), made with 11/2 to 2 teaspoons of sugar. All three styles of coffee can be brewed using this recipe: simply lessen the amount of sugar for sukkar qalil or omit it altogether for murra. The brew is allowed to come to a boil three times to form foam. In the Arab World, this foam is called “the face of the coffee,” and one loses face if the coffee is served without it. For Qahwa Mazbut one can use pre ground cardamom and easy-to-find roasted coffee—either pre-ground or whole beans to freshly grind at home. However, freshly ground coffee and cardamom will give the best flavor. To Arabs any coffee served has a meaning.
According to our host at the Coffee Room in the Cham Palace Hotel, located amid the magnificent ruins of Palmyra in Syria, coffee embodies three things: its rich aroma signifies the joy of meeting; its bitterness represents the sadness of departing; and its blackness reveals the dark eyes of the beloved. With metaphors such as these, it is no wonder that this gift that the Arabs gave the world remains their most cherished brew.

Makes 6 to 8 demitasse servings

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10 minutes
STANDING TIME: 2 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (500 ml) cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon pre-ground cardamom or freshly pulverized cardamom seeds
• 11/2 to 2 teaspoons sugar, to taste
• 5 teaspoons fresh finely ground coffee or espresso grind

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring the water, cardamom, and sugar to a boil in an ibrik or small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the coffee. Stir and, as the foam begins to form, spoon a little of the foam into each of the tiny Arab coffee cups.
2. Return the coffee to the heat and bring to a boil again. Remove from the heat, stir, and allow to settle for about 1 minute. Repeat the same process once more, and then remove from the heat and allow to settle before serving over the foam in the cups.
3. Carefully pour the coffee into the cups to make sure that most of the grounds remain in the bottom of an ibrik or saucepan. Similar to Turkish coffee, a small amount of the fine coffee grounds will settle at the bottom of the cups—so a “bottoms-up” drinking style is not recommended!