☕ Lebanese coffee with cardamom
Lebanese coffee is very finely ground dark coffee boiled with water and ground cardamom in a small long-handled pot called a rakweh. It is poured unfiltered into small cups, so a soft layer of grounds settles at the bottom. The taste is strong, slightly bitter and fragrant with cardamom, and it is served plain or sweetened to order.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 ml cold water
- 2 heaped tsp very finely ground coffee
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1–2 tsp sugar (optional)
Method
- Put the water and sugar, if using, into a rakweh or small pot and bring to a simmer.
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the coffee and cardamom.
- Return to low heat and let the coffee rise into a foam; lift it off before it boils over. Repeat twice.
- Rest for a minute so the grounds settle, then pour slowly into small cups.
How to make it lighter
- Unsweetened, a small cup has only a few kcal — the sugar is what adds up.
- Each teaspoon of sugar adds about 16 kcal; ask for 'medium' or no sugar.
- Extra cardamom gives more aroma, so less sugar is needed.
History
Coffee boiled in a pot spread across the Levant during Ottoman times, and cardamom became the signature spice of the Lebanese version. Today it is offered to guests in almost every Lebanese home and is part of both everyday visits and condolence gatherings.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Lebanese coffee with cardamom and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
Download on the App StoreSimilar dishes
Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →