Coffee is a highly consumed beverage in many countries all over the world. That’s because the culture of drinking coffee started in many countries a long time ago.
A good example is the coffee-drinking tradition in Israel, where coffee has been a beloved beverage since Israel achieved independence in the 1940s.
At that time, many Israelis who came home from Europe after the Holocaust ended established businesses surrounding coffee.
There were coffee shops, roasteries, and coffee grinding shops. Coffee soon became a dominant beverage in homes, restaurants, and Israeli streets.
An interesting story about Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, shows the richness of Israeli coffee.
It is said that Golda always had two pots of coffee boiling in her kitchen. She invited members of the parliament to her kitchen for coffee once a week, a gathering that was humorously referred to as “Golda’s Kitchen Cabinet.
This anecdotal story shows that the love of coffee has come a long way in Israel.In fact, most Israelis start their relationship with coffee in the army service, where they are required to stay awake for long hours in service to their country.
Many Israelis give their coffee to friends during religious days such as Sabbath (Shabbat) and Purim, during which they give each other a food basket called Mishloach Manot.
Today, about 66 percent of Israelis drink up to 3 cups of coffee a day. Their love for coffee has also extended to cultivating an indigenous coffee strain called Golda coffee.
That doesn’t mean Israelis only consume their indigenously cultivated coffee. They also import coffee beans from Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Colombia, among other coffee-growing countries.
People take coffee in Israel in the morning, during the day as they socialize outdoors, and after dinner. Why do they love it so much? Let’s find out more about it.
What Sets Israeli Coffee Apart?
Israeli coffee is famous for its aroma and flavor. It is unfiltered coffee made from ground coffee and spices such as cardamom that is usually served as dark as possible without milk.
People often refer to Israeli coffee as Arabic coffee (Kafe Aravi), Jewish coffee, or Israeli Turkish coffee because it is a type of Middle Eastern coffee.
Although most Israelis prefer black coffee, some add milk to theirs to make a type of milky Espresso-based coffee referred to as Cafe Hafush.
Israelis also consume an iced coffee, or coffee slushy, called “Shalev Erev,” similar to Frappuccino. It is prepared by adding ice, condensed milk/ almond milk to Arabic coffee.
How Israeli Coffee is Prepared
Although there are many coffee drinks in Israel, most people prefer black coffee, which can be prepared in two ways. There is cooked and uncooked Israeli coffee.
The cooked coffee is referred to as Kafe Shachor or Kafe Turki, both of which can be translated as black coffee.
Uncooked Israeli coffee is called Kafe Botz, which means mud coffee.
The coffee beans or grounds used to make Israeli coffee are kosher. That means they’ve been produced by following the strict regulation dictated by Halachic Jewish Laws.
These laws require Israeli coffee to be processed using machinery and utensils that have achieved the standards set by Jewish laws. A rabbi should also be present during the production of the coffee.
You may ask, why the production of Israeli coffee beans necessitates such care? It’s to ensure any process, material, or machinery used to produce them does not break Jewish dietary laws. Most Israelites are pretty particular about their beliefs.
The brewing of Israeli coffee is done using a unique long-handled pot (Finjan) that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Some people also use a kettle called Ibrik.
These pots are usually made of stainless steel or Enamel. They come in sizes that can take between one and seven coffee cups.
Israeli coffee is served in glass cups in homes, while cafes serve it in porcelain cups.
There are two ways to make Israeli coffee. The first type of coffee is called “Kafe I’m Hel”/ Arabic coffee. It undergoes intense boiling to bring out the flavor and aroma of the grounds. Here is a recipe.
How to Make Kafe I’m Hel Coffee
Ingredients
Stainless steel “Finjan” pot/ Ibrik coffee pot
1 teaspoon of Israeli Coffee grounds
A cup of water
1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar
A pinch of cardamom
A small glass cup
Procedure
- Pour the water into the “Finjan” or Ibrik and let it boil on the stove over medium heat.
- Lower the heat, add sugar, and stir as the water simmers until it dissolves.
- Increase the heat and bring the sugared water to a boil.
- Remove the hot water from the stove, and add the coffee grounds and cardamom.
- Stir the coffee and cardamom into the hot water.
- Put the pot or kettle back onto the stove on medium heat for another boil and stir in the coffee until it foams.
- Pour the coffee into a glass cup and serve it with Israeli snacks such as Baklava, Halva, or Achva.
Reboiling coffee when making Israeli coffee may seem strange to you, but it is done to ensure it foams and the spices infuse the coffee. These two aspects set Israeli coffee apart from other types of coffee.
There are those that prefer not to boil their coffee too much. These are individuals who take Kafe Botz or Mud Coffee. Here’s a recipe for Mud Coffee.
Mud Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
1 teaspoon of Israeli Coffee grounds
A cup of hot water
1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar
A pinch of cardamom
A small glass cup
Procedure
- Spoon the coffee grounds, sugar, and cardamom into a glass.
- Pour hot water into the glass and hot milk if you prefer.
- Stir the ingredients into the hot water until the sugar dissolves.
- Allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes until the coffee grounds settle to the bottom of the glass.
- Serve with some Israeli snacks.
Why Do Israelis Leave Coffee Grounds In Their Coffee? According to some historians, the practice of leaving coffee grounds in coffee originated from fortune tellers who used the grounds left in coffee cups to tell people’s fortunes.
Many religious people in the region differ with this practice, but it is practiced by some individuals in the community, especially during family gatherings or social occasions.
Every part of the coffee cup that has traces of coffee grounds is used in the reading.
Conclusions
Now you know how to brew Israeli coffee. It’s always interesting to have coffee the way people in other countries take it. You discover different types of coffee beans, spices for coffee making, and brewing styles.
You don’t have to use a finjan to brew Israeli coffee. You can use your Chemex or Hario coffee maker to brew Israeli coffee at home.
Make sure it’s strong, black, and flavorful, just like the Israelis like it. You may go further and enjoy Israeli delicacies such as Halva or Baklava with your coffee.
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