Gahwa

Ingredients

Coffee

• 60 ggreen or very lightly roasted coffee beans
• 1 litrewater

Spices

• 2 tablespoonsgreen cardamom pods, crushed
• a large pinch of saffron
• 4cloves, optional
• 1 teaspoonground ginger, optional
• a small piece of cinnamon, optional

To serve

• dates
• no sugar
• a dallah, the coffee pot
• finjan, small handleless cups

Directions

1. Use green beans if you can find them. Heat a heavy dry pan over a medium heat. Add the beans in a single layer. Stir them constantly with a wooden spoon. They should turn a light golden colour.
2. Take them off before they colour further. Let them cool down completely. Grind the cooled beans coarsely. Grind it just before you brew it. Bring the water to a boil in a pot.
3. Add the ground coffee to the pot. Turn the heat right down to low. Let it simmer along very gently. Give it about fifteen minutes. Crush the cardamom pods lightly. Add them into the pot as well. Add the cloves and ginger if using them.
4. Let it simmer another ten minutes. Adding the saffron takes a moment. Crush the saffron in a small bowl. Add a spoonful of the hot coffee to it.
5. Let it steep for five minutes. Take the pot right off the heat. Let it stand for five full minutes.
6. Pour it carefully through a fine sieve. Pour it carefully into the dallah. Leave the last of the sediment behind. It keeps the coffee hot and holds back grounds.
7. Set out a small dish of dates. It is drunk hot and quite thin. Make it fresh rather than keeping it.

Technique

• UNESCO inscribed Arabic coffee as a symbol of generosity in twenty fifteen, on a joint submission by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar; Kuwait was not among the submitting states, though the practice is shared right across the Gulf.
• The beans are roasted very lightly so the coffee is pale gold rather than dark, looking more like tea than coffee, and that paleness is correct and deliberate.
• The cup is filled only a quarter full so it must be refilled often, and the guest shakes the cup gently side to side to signal they have had enough; without that shake the pourer keeps going.

Substitutions

• Very lightly roasted coffee stands in if green beans are hard to find.
• The saffron can be left out, though the colour and aroma both suffer.

Variations

• Some households add cloves, ginger or cinnamon to the pot.
• The proportion of cardamom to coffee varies widely between families.
• Saudi, Emirati and Omani versions differ in roast and spicing.

History

Pale cardamom coffee poured from a dallah into small cups; UNESCO listed the hospitality ritual in 2015.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gahwa?

Gahwa is a drink from Kuwait: cardamom-saffron coffee with dates, diwaniya essential. Pale cardamom coffee poured from a dallah into small cups; UNESCO listed the hospitality ritual in 2015.

How long does Gahwa take to make?

Gahwa takes 10 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6 small cups. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Gahwa?

Yes, within limits. Very lightly roasted coffee stands in if green beans are hard to find. The saffron can be left out, though the colour and aroma both suffer.

What is the most important thing to get right in Gahwa?

Set out a small dish of dates. It is drunk hot and quite thin. Make it fresh rather than keeping it.