Qahwa wa Tamr (Arabic Coffee and Dates)
Lightly roasted Arabica beans brewed with cardamom (and often a pinch of saffron or cloves), poured pale gold from a long-spouted brass dallah into small handleless cups, and served alongside fresh dates. More ritual than recipe: the host pours with the right hand, fills the cup only halfway as a mark of humility, and serves the most respected guest first - a hospitality tradition shared across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Qatar, recognized together by UNESCO in 2015.
Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lightly roasted Arabica coffee beans, coarsely ground
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- Pinch of saffron threads (optional)
- 1-2 whole cloves (optional)
- Fresh dates, to serve
Steps
- Bring the water to a boil in a pot or traditional dallah.
- Add the ground coffee and reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the crushed cardamom pods (and saffron and cloves if using) and simmer another 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the grounds settle for a few minutes.
- Strain the coffee into a serving dallah or pot, leaving the grounds behind.
- Pour into small handleless cups, filling each only about halfway.
- Serve immediately alongside a plate of fresh dates, offering the first cup to the eldest or most honored guest.