How to Prepare Coffee
Below you will find a list of methods for preparing Al-Yemeni Cafe Abdelmaboud coffee — from the classic Egyptian ritual to modern variations.
1. Classic Method Egyptian Kanaka / Cezve
The most popular method, allowing you to achieve the famous coffee foam known as wesh.
Step 1: Pour cold water into the cezve, using around 60–70 ml per cup.
Step 2: Add sugar according to your preferred sweetness level, from Sada to Ziyada, and add one heaped teaspoon of coffee. Do not stir immediately — let the coffee float on the surface.
In Egypt, the sweetness level of coffee, most often brewed Turkish-style in a small pot known as a kanaka, is described using several traditional terms. It is important to specify the sweetness level when ordering, as sugar is added to the water before brewing.
The most common sweetness levels are:
Sada (سادة): Plain coffee, completely without sugar. Traditionally served during mourning ceremonies, among other occasions, but also popular among purists.
Arriha (على الريحة / ‘Al Re’a): Literally “by the scent”. It contains only a trace amount of sugar, just enough to soften the bitterness without making the drink noticeably sweet.
Mazboot (مظبوط): Literally “just right” or “correct”. This is the most commonly ordered sweetness level, usually corresponding to one teaspoon of sugar per cup.
Ziyada (زيادة): A very sweet coffee containing an extra portion of sugar, often around 1.5 to 2 teaspoons.
Sari’a / Serya2osy: A less common level for lovers of extreme sweetness, referring to coffee with a very large amount of sugar, exceeding the standard ziyada level.
Step 3: Heat gently over a very low flame. When the coffee begins to rise, stir it carefully.
Step 4: When the foam begins to lift, remove the cezve from the heat just before boiling.
Step 5: Pour only the foam into the cups first, heat the remaining coffee once more, then slowly pour the rest into the cups.
2. Slow Brew Method Sand or Very Low Flame
For connoisseurs who want to bring out the depth of Yemeni beans and the aroma of cardamom.
Specifics: The process takes around 4–5 minutes.
Technique: The cezve is placed in hot sand or on the lowest possible flame. Slow heating allows the sugars to caramelise gently and intensifies the release of essential oils from the coffee and cardamom.
3. Traditional Yemeni Method With Ginger – Qishr Style
Yemeni heritage makes it possible to prepare coffee in a more southern, traditional style.
Ingredients: Al-Yemeni coffee, water and, optionally, fresh ginger or an extra portion of cardamom.
Preparation: Bring the mixture to a boil, remove it from the heat for 30 seconds, then repeat the process three times. This method gives the coffee an almost syrup-like texture and a very intense aroma.
4. Modern Method Moka Pot
It all began in 1940, when Abdel Maboud Al-Yemeni opened his first shop in the heart of Cairo’s Bab Al-Louq district. His vision was simple yet ambitious: to source the finest beans from Yemen, which inspired the name Al-Yemeni, and adapt them to the taste of the Egyptian people.
Three Generations: Today, the company is run by the third generation of the family, continuing the same precise blending traditions.
A Symbol of Cairo: The brand is recognised by coffee lovers not only in Cairo, but also by Arabic communities across the world as a symbol of authenticity and quality.
Yemeni Roots: The name refers to the era when Yemen, through the port of Mokha, was the only source of coffee in the world, and Yemeni beans were considered “black gold”.
Preparation Methods Where Tradition Meets History
1. Classic Egyptian Kanaka Golden Foam
In Egypt, coffee without foam, known as wesh, is considered unsuccessful. Historically, the richness of the foam reflected the freshness of the beans and the skill of the host.
Interesting fact: In the past, the thickness of the foam was used to judge the quality of the coffee. It was believed that the thicker and more lasting the foam, the more carefully the coffee had been prepared.
Method: When using an Al-Yemeni blend, the key is not to let the coffee fully boil. Tiny air bubbles should remain trapped beneath the layer of finely ground coffee, creating a creamy texture.
2. Slow Brew on Sand Desert Ritual
This method comes from Bedouin tradition, where coffee was brewed over the embers of a fire.
Historical fact: Sand allows heat to be distributed evenly, something a modern gas burner cannot fully replicate.
Why Al-Yemeni? Slow heating, lasting around 4–5 minutes, allows the cardamom in the coffee not only to release its aroma, but also to open up its essential oils, giving the infusion a warming, deeply aromatic character.
3. Yemeni Qishr Style Ancestral Heritage
Although modern Abdel Maboud coffee is made from pure beans, the name Al-Yemeni refers to the Yemeni drink known as Qishr.
History: In Yemen, the husks of coffee cherries were traditionally brewed with ginger. Abdel Maboud transferred this intensity into the Egyptian coffee tradition, offering coffee with exceptionally strong extraction.
Interesting fact: True Arabic coffee, or Qahwa, is rarely filtered. The sediment at the bottom of the cup was once used for fortune-telling, known as tasseography, and remains a popular tradition in Egyptian cafés.
4. Ahwa Bil Laban Coffee with Milk – European Influence
The combination of Egyptian coffee and milk became popular in the 19th century under the influence of cafés founded in Alexandria by Greeks and Italians.
Tip from Al-Yemeni: The milk should be full-fat and cold. Adding it directly to the cezve with Abdel Maboud coffee makes the drink thick, almost like hot chocolate. It is a favourite way of drinking coffee among Cairo’s intellectual circles on cooler evenings.
5. Sada The Coffee of Purists and the Ritual of Hospitality
Sada, or bitter coffee, is a foundation of Arabic hospitality. According to tradition, a guest should never refuse the first cup.
Fact: Abdel Maboud created its cardamom variants so that the natural sweetness of the spice could balance the absence of sugar, allowing the quality of Yemeni Arabica to be appreciated without unnecessary additives.
Why Cardamom?
In Arab culture, cardamom has long been a symbol of luxury and status. Al-Yemeni carefully balances its amount because, historically, this precise proportion was believed to “open” the flavour profile of the bean without overpowering it. In Arabic tradition, cardamom is also valued as an aromatic ingredient that refreshes the breath and adds a refined, warming character to coffee.
Which of these historic methods best suits your morning ritual?
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