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Café de olla
Central Mexico's clay-pot coffee with piloncillo, cinnamon and orange peel
In ranch kitchens and roadside fondas across central Mexico, coffee is not dripped but boiled in a tall clay pot (olla de barro) with a cone of piloncillo and a stick of soft Mexican cinnamon, then strained into clay mugs. It is sweet, spiced and earthy, and is served with pan dulce at breakfast, on cold evenings, and to visitors on Day of the Dead. A saucepan works fine if you have no olla. Chef's tip: turn the heat off before adding the coffee and let it steep rather than boil, or it turns bitter.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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What you'll need
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Put 4 ¼ cups water, 2 ⅞ oz piloncillo or dark brown sugar, 1 Mexican cinnamon (canela) stick, 2 cloves and 1 strip of orange peel in a clay pot or saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 8 minutes, stirring, until the piloncillo has dissolved and the water smells strongly of cinnamon.
8 minStep 2: Take the pan off the heat, stir in 1 ¾ oz coarsely ground dark-roast coffee, cover and steep for 5 minutes. Common mistake: boiling the coffee grounds; it pulls out harsh, bitter flavours.
5 minStep 3: Pour through a fine sieve lined with a paper filter or a cloth into mugs. Taste and add a little more piloncillo if you like it sweeter. Serve very hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does café de olla take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 13 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- What can I use instead of piloncillo or dark brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of mexican cinnamon (canela) stick?
- Cassia bark, same amount (stronger and a little more bitter).
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