Recipes

Zanzibar Spiced Coffee

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 1 mins

| Cook Time: 5 mins

| Total Time: 6 mins

You may need: Zanzibar Zest

Discover The Recipe

Grown on the rich volcanic hillsides of Mt Kilimanjaro, coffee is a way of life in Tanzania. Not least because coffee is the largest export of the country, locals take a certain pride in preparing their coffee. As in many parts of East Africa, you can find ritualized coffee ceremonies, where the beans are roasted in front of you in a clay bowl on a small metal charcoal stove, then freshly-ground at your table to brew.

The spice island of Zanzibar combines its love of coffee with its expertise in spice blending. Walking through the thousand-year old, narrow alleys of Stonetown, the old port of Zanzibar, you will catch the scents of spices and coffee brewing while passing dark doorways. Every menu offers spiced coffee and it is often served with a heavy dose of milk and two lumps of sugar. Try this Zanzibar Spiced Coffee recipe so that, tomorrow morning, you can transport yourself to the Spice Island on the Indian Ocean. This blend also works great in making desserts: bake cookies or pancakes. Or, try making a spiced espresso to pour over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

Notes

The traditional style of serving spiced coffee includes milk / cream and sugar. A little sweetener will help counteract the bitter notes of cardamom and ginger, especially if you use 1/4 tsp or more of Coffee Spice blend per cup.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

We all make coffee different ways. Some use the drip coffee pot. Some of use a percolator. Others love their french press. Keep making coffee how you like to and just add 1/8 to 1/2 tsp of Spiced Coffee blend to your grounds per cup made. Start on the low range (1/8 tsp per cup) for a subtler flavor and work your way to the desired spice profile.

Try this spiced coffee with milk and sugar for an authentic island cup.

Alternatives & Substitutions

Don't drink coffee? Try making a chai tea with this spice blend instead. You'll want to use less of the spice blend since you'll add directly to the water. For a single cup, use 1/16 to 1/8 of a tsp per cup of tea and add milk and sugar / honey to your liking.
Want to make something else besides Zanzibar spiced coffee with our coffee spice? Try adding 1 - 2 tsp of the spice blend to your favorite cookie recipes. Or add 2 tsp to a pancake batter recipe for Zanzibar spiced pancakes! How about our Malva Pudding? For a savory meal, try our Swahili Grilled Fish with Coconut-Tamarind Sauce, or Zanzibar Fish with Spiced Cornbread.
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