Lebanese Coffee

Coffee is one of the most consumed and appreciated drinks in the whole world, but for the Arabs, and, especially for the Lebanese, it is always present at any meal of the day and with every meeting, whether it is a gathering of friends or a business meeting. Anyone who visits a lebanese household will be served with a cup of coffee, no matter the duration of the meeting.

The Lebanese coffee, also known as de „Awheh”, „Kahweh” or „Kawha” is, usually, Arabic coffee (turkish in origin), but, for a more intense and spicy taste, a little cardamon or hel is added – an ingredient that is never missing from the Lebanese kitchen. The coffee is carefully prepared in a recipient called „rawke” and, due to the fact that this is one of the strongest coffees in the world, it is not served in large quantities, but in a small cup of coffee, without ear, refinedly decorated, called “demitasse”, which has about 60-90 ml.

Yes, you read that well, and no, we are not talking about a regular coffee in which we add a substantial amount of milk, as you all might expect! White Lebanese coffee – “akwah baida” or “café blanc” – is a very fine drink, extremely relaxing, which does not contain coffeine. This type of coffee is easy-to-prepare and, usually, it is consumed after a great meal, in order to induce a calm state of mind and relaxation for the whole body.

The ingredients needed for this kind of drink, which was invented in Beirut, are regular water and orange blossom water, to which sugar or honey can be added, according to preferences. Due to its fruity and floral taste, the orange blossom water is generally used for preparing sweets, but its incredible flavor is best accentuated when it is used as an ingredient for the white Lebanese coffee. Also, keep in mind the fact that if you ever want to prepare your own “café blanc” and you do not have orange blossom water, you can simply use rose water!