Kahwa

Kahwa is traditional Omani coffee. The core ingredients are ground cardamom pods and good quality Arabic coffee beans. Other spices such as cloves, cinnamon or saffron are added to the brewing process and these can differ from village to village, and from family member to family member. The method is simple:

1.) Take a kettle of water and bring it to a simmer.
2.) Add the coffee grounds and bring it to a boil.
3.) Place ground cardamom, or cloves, or cinnamon etc into the empty coffee pot.
4.) Pour the boiled coffee through a strainer into the pot.
5.) Serve with dates

We shared some lovely kahwa with our friends in Al Rustaq over Eid. Each pot was made by a different member and each pot had a different flavour.

Coffee culture is huge in Oman with giant coffee pots adorning traffic roundabouts and large clay pots available at various souks.

The traditional way of enjoying kahwa in the home is to sit on the floor and never fill the cup to the brim. Once the guest has had enough coffee they simply shake their cup so that the host knows to stop pouring. I learned this lesson a little late in the day and was positively buzzing by the time I had to drive home 😉