This Turkish cardamom coffee is easy to make and will definitely give you a caffeine buzz. It's lightly spiced and perfect for breakfast, mid-morning or after dinner.
I spent the first 18 years of my life not understanding what it was about coffee that everyone seemed to love. Not that I was tea drinker. I didn't like that either, or even hot chocolate much. I would go to someone's house and be asked what I wanted to drink and I'd ask for water.
Would you like a coffee? What about a tea? Squash?
No, water is fine, thanks.
They looked uncomfortable, as if they had failed to provide a nice drink for me when in fact I was fine with water. Although I was happy with water, my hosts seemed uncomfortable with it. They kept trying to offer me drinks I didn't want, especially hot drinks!
And so, on becoming an adult, I decided maybe it was time to bring myself to the point where I would be able to drink a coffee. I didn't think I would ever like it. I just wanted to be polite and fit in in certain social situations. The plan was that if I made myself drink a small cup each day, I'd be able to accept a coffee on those occasions when hot drinks were offered.
How I became a coffee addict!
I started with just half a teaspoon of instant coffee, lots of sugar and a dash of water. Within a week I was cutting down the sugar. Soon I was increasing the coffee, and before long I was topping up the whole mug. Something I'd thought I didn't like for all those years became an addiction in about a week! At first it was just instant coffee, but over the next few years, living in Germany for a year and later Poland for two years, I turned to proper coffee beans and ground coffee only. I would turn up my nose at instant, it just didn't give me that kick I needed any more.
Nowadays I do drink instant at work (as there is no other choice) but I don't buy it. Any coffee drunk at home is made with love, care and real coffee beans.
When did I start to like really strong coffee?
After university I went to Poland for a couple of years to teach English. The coffee was usually served Turkish style. It was so strong that it made me shake when I first arrived, especially if I dared to have 2 cups. Even so, I loved it as it gave me such a caffeine high. Every so often I still enjoy strong coffee this way.
To give it more of a Turkish flavour, I sometimes make my coffee with cardamom too. It gives it a lovely flavour.
Can you adapt this cardamom coffee recipe?
I don't like sweet coffee so I didn't add any sugar. However, if you like it to be sweet you can add some sugar to the water at the beginning. It's up to you how much.
You can also try a different flavour. Why not use a cinnamon stick to make cinnamon coffee?
Recipe
Cardamom Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon coffee finely ground
- 1 cardamom pod crushed a little so the seeds are exposed
Instructions
- Boil the kettle. Pour the water into a mug then tip it into a saucepan.
- Bring back to the boil.
- When it boils take it off the heat.
- Add the coffee and cardamom pod. Return to the heat. It will begin to boil and foam quite quickly.
- Take it off the heat. Then return it to the heat until it foams again.
- Repeat this process again once or even twice.
- Leave the pan to rest for a minute or two so all the grinds sink to the bottom.
- Pour into the cup and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes you might like
I only have one coffee recipe on Searching for Spice at the time of writing this. However, this cardamom coffee is delicious with a slice of cake so why not try it with one of these recipes?
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Sandra Rode
It seems that one could use the steamer on an espresso maker to handle the foaming steps--even heating the water. This would simplify the pouring and stove handling
Corina
Probably. I don't have an espresso maker but I'm sure you can adapt the method to suit your equipment, especially if it simplifies things!
Tes
Cardamom seems perfect for coffee. I have never tried it before and I think I will try it now 🙂
searchingforspice
I've never had Greek coffee. I'll have to do some research and experiment with it. Thanks for the idea.
Katerina
What a coincidence. I do not drink coffee either. I always ask for water as well. I didn't change through the years though and my friends gave up. Your coffee looks very exotic. we drink Greek coffee here which is very similar to Turkish. My mother would love your coffee.