Armenian coffee
Haykakan soorj: fine-ground coffee boiled in a jazzve
Armenian coffee, soorj, is boiled in a small long-handled pot called a jazzve and poured unfiltered into tiny cups. It is offered the moment a guest sits down in any Yerevan home and lingers after meals while the grounds settle; when the cup is empty, it is turned upside down on its saucer so someone can read the patterns left in the grounds. The coffee is powder-fine, often scented with a pinch of cardamom, with a velvety foam (kaymak) on top that is a point of pride for the host. Serve with a glass of water and a little gata or dried fruit. Chef's tip: start with cold water and a low flame; the slower the coffee heats, the thicker and longer-lasting the foam.
- Total time
- 7 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cold watermeasured with the coffee cup, 2 cups
- 2 tbsp Armenian or Turkish coffee, ground powder-fineheaped
- 2 tsp sugar (optional)optional; 0–2 tsp per cup
- 1 pinch ground cardamom (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pour ¾ cup cold water into a jazzve (cezve) or the smallest pan you have. Add 2 tbsp Armenian or Turkish coffee, ground powder-fine, 2 tsp sugar and 1 pinch ground cardamom and stir well until the coffee sinks and no dry clumps float.
Step 2: Set over a low heat and do not stir again. After 3–4 minutes a ring of foam forms at the edge and creeps inwards, darkening as it thickens.
4 minStep 3: Watch closely: when the foam rises sharply towards the rim, lift the pot off the heat. A common mistake is letting it boil over or boil hard, which breaks the foam and makes the coffee bitter.
Step 4: Spoon a little foam into each cup, return the pot to the heat until the coffee rises once more, then pour slowly into the cups from a low height so the foam stays on top.
1 minStep 5: Leave for a minute for the grounds to settle before sipping. Stop before the last thick mouthful of grounds.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 15 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does armenian coffee take?
- About 7 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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