Spiced Coffee
Coffee is naturally bursting with hundreds of different flavour notes, from rich chocolate to black pepper, juicy berries and nuts. But if you want to mix things up, you could try adding spice to your coffee, just like you would with your cooking. Well loved in Moroccan coffee houses, spiced coffee if the perfect pick me up on a cold winter's day. There are lots of different recipes out there - with or without milk - so why not experiment and create your very own drink?
Finding the perfect spiced coffee recipe
How you take your spiced coffee is very much down to personal choice, but as a rule of thumb, you'll need some warming aromatic spices like ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and some great quality coffee beans or ground coffee. For an authentic Moroccan spiced coffee, you'll also need sugar and cream or hot milk for a really indulgent brew, but you can leave these out if you prefer your coffee black.
How to prepare your coffee
If you're using whole beans, you'll need to put it through your grinder with the spices you're using to mix all the flavours together. If you're using ground, you may need a pestle and mortar to get your whole spices to a similar consistency to your coffee. However you're doing it, we'd advise using ground cinnamon, cloves, cardamom seeds, freshly grated nutmeg and ground ginger. You can also add some freshly ground black pepper, though we appreciate that isn't for everyone!
Now it's time to brew
Spiced coffee works well in a drip coffee maker like a V60 or Chemex, or in your French press. Because of the added spices, you may find the filter on any electric coffee maker gets clogged, so it's best to stick to manual methods. Just boil the kettle, pour over your water and wait.
Finishing touches for the perfect cup of Moroccan coffee
Give it the same prep time you would a standard coffee, then serve as it is or add frothy milk or cream, plus a little sugar depending on your taste. Enjoy it as a shot in espresso cups or in your favourite mug with milk. Then just put your feet up and enjoy your authentic Moroccan drink - perfect for warming you through on a grey British day.
Finding a coffee that's naturally spiced
True coffee connoisseurs might not be too keen on adding extra spice to their cup of coffee and that's fine - there are plenty of ways to explore spiced coffee without having to raid your cooking supplies for ingredients. While every grower's beans have their own distinct flavour notes, there are a few countries to explore if you like a hint of spice in your coffees. Ethiopia, Sumatra and Guatemala produce some delicious coffee with spicy notes, so if complex coffee-making recipes aren't for you, it's well worth exploring these regions. Try them with and without milk to get the right level of spicy for you.