Qahwa (Arabic Coffee)
Also Saudi qahwa, gahwa, Arabic coffee, قهوة عربية
The Arabian Peninsula's lightly roasted cardamom coffee, boiled in a dallah and poured into tiny cups as the central act of hospitality.
RegionalServed hotFrom Saudi Arabia
- Volume
- 50ml1.7 US fl oz
- Espresso
- 0shots
- Caffeine
- 20mgderived, USDA FDC
- Glass
- Serving glass60 ml
The build
Watch it made, step by step- lightly roasted coffee…50 ml100%
- Volume
- 50ml
- Caffeine
- 20mg
- Espresso
- 0shots
Scales every component together, so the ratio holds; caffeine scales with the coffee.
Light roast, coarse grind, boiled for several minutes with cardamom; served unsweetened in small cups with dates, refilled until the guest shakes the cup.
Caffeine
Derivedin a 50 ml qahwa (arabic coffee)
USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee volume in components, assuming 1 g per ml. FDC 171890 (Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water) 40.0 mg/100 g x 50 ml.
USDA FoodData Central record 171890 · read 2026-10-26
A derived figure: the reference food's caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee in this build. Real cups vary with the coffee, the dose and the shot.
Variants by country
3| Name | Country | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Najdi coffee | Saudi Arabia | Blond roast with saffron, clove and cardamom; Wikidata lists it as intangible heritage. |
| Hijazi coffee | Saudi Arabia | Darker roast. |
| Turkish coffee | Türkiye | Dark roast, fine grind, sweetened. |
History
Wikidata records the Arabian Peninsula as origin of Arabic coffee and Saudi Arabia for Saudi and Najdi coffee, dating the latter to the sixteenth century and listing milk, saffron, clove and cardamom as parts.
Arabian Peninsula; on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.
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