My mother used to buy the Yemeni spice blend called Hawaij at the local market. While I was born in Israel, my family originated from Yemen. I used to love the Yemeni Arabic dialect my parents spoke in the house, the delicious traditional foods, and especially- the aroma of my mother’s cup of Arabi spiced coffee- at all hours of the day.
In Yemen, coffee is a social tradition going back at least 500 years. The first cup of coffee is said to have been brewed there. Yemen Arabica Mocha coffee is known for its exclusive taste and aroma.
Yemeni people drink coffee to start the day, and after meals. They prepare coffee to grant visitors a warm welcome.
But most of all, drinking coffee is a social pass time. Men spend hours together in a special sitting area, or tent for the desert Bedouins, drinking coffee and chewing qat leaves which have a stimulating effect.
How to brew Yemen coffee - the recipe:
–coffee:
The Yemeni coffee will of course boost the flavor- follow the link for more.
You can also use any espresso ground coffee, or Turkish ground coffee.
–The spice blend called Hawaij:
2 spoons of ground ginger
2 teaspoons of ground cardamom
Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Quarter a teaspoon of ground clove
-Feel free to add or reduce to create the ideal blend for your personal palate.
-Brew the coffee with quarter to half a teaspoon of the hawaij blend per cup.
-Add sugar to your liking and stir.
-Add water and let the mixture boil.
-Remove from the heat, let it rest, and let it boil again.
-Repeat again and let the coffee blend boil a third time.
This will bring out the tastes in the most delightful way.
The aroma will fill your kitchen and take you all the way to Yemen in a minute…
Pour your spiced coffee and enjoy…
Here’s to you, mom!
Author:
Ella Harari– the Wandering Goddess.
If you liked this story, checkout my Wandering Goddess blog !
I’m wandering around East Africa in search of tribal traditions and African wisdom. See you there 🙂
