Qahwa Sada (Jordanian Cardamom Coffee)
Local name: قهوة سادة
In short: Lightly roasted coffee simmered with cardamom in a small pot, poured into tiny cups and served unsweetened with a date, the Jordanian welcome. It takes about 20 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Resting
- 3 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 68 kcal
A pot of qahwa sada is the first thing offered to a guest in a Jordanian home, shop or tent. The coffee is roasted pale, ground fine and simmered with cardamom until it smells sweetly spiced, then poured into tiny handleless cups a few sips at a time. It is bitter by design, so a date is served alongside, and the host keeps refilling until the guest gently shakes the cup.
Instructions
- Pour the cold water into a small long-handled pot or a dallah and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- Stir in the ground coffee and the cardamom once, then return to a gentle boil. When the foam rises to the rim, lift the pot off the heat until it settles. Repeat twice more over about 10 minutes, so the coffee boils up three times in all.
- Add the cloves, if using, for the last boil, then take the pot off the heat and let it stand for 2 to 3 minutes so the grounds sink to the bottom.
- Pour slowly into small cups, filling each only about a third full (50 ml / 2 oz) and leaving the grounds behind in the pot.
- Serve right away, unsweetened, with a date for each guest.
Tips
- Use the lightest roast you can find, ground as fine as powder. A dark espresso roast tastes burnt and overpowers the cardamom.
- Do not stir after the first stir, and pour gently so the grounds stay at the bottom. Fill the cups only a third full, as the host refills them rather than serving one big mug.
Questions and answers
Why is qahwa sada unsweetened?
Sada means plain, and the coffee is deliberately unsweetened and bitter. A date or another sweet is eaten alongside it instead of stirring sugar in.
Can I make it with regular coffee?
You can, but pick a light or medium roast and grind it as fine as powder. Dark roasts give a harsher, burnt flavor that hides the cardamom.
What does shaking the cup mean?
A guest who has had enough gently shakes the empty cup from side to side. Until then the host keeps refilling it, and guests often take two or three small cups.
How long does it take to make Qahwa Sada (Jordanian Cardamom Coffee)?
About 20 min in total: 5 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Qahwa Sada (Jordanian Cardamom Coffee)?
About 68 kcal per serving, with 1 g of protein, 18 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 68 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 16 g |
| Sodium | 3 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
